CHENNAI: Following the January 2 Supreme Court order, it’s time for BCCI affiliates to reorganise house. This means amending constitution according to Lodha panel guidelines and electing new office-bearers in place of those deemed ineligible.
President and secretary relinquishing posts, the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) held its executive committee meeting in Vijayawada on Monday, and the highlight was GVK Ranga Raju’s elevation to the chair of president left vacant by DVSS Soumyajulu.
Ranga Raju is the son of outgoing ACA secretary G Ganga Raju.
Vice-president in the previous regime, Ranga Raju was co-opted to the top post. C Arun Kumar graduated to general secretary from joint secretary. While Soumyajulu left as chief after having completed nine years in administration, Ganga Raju is above 70. Lodha guidelines specify that nine years is the maximum for office-bearers, who have to be below 70 years of age.
Ganga Raju clarified his son was chosen president because he was the senior most vice-president in the previous body, adding that this is a “temporary arrangement” and Ranga Raju will soon step down because of the cooling-off period rule, which makes a three-year break mandatory for office-bearers after every three years.
“He (Ranga Raju) has completed over five years in total and it will soon be three years in the second term. He has to take a cooling-off break. He was chosen because the senior vice-president becomes president when the top post falls vacant. Even the Lodha panel says that. After the January 19 SC order (on appointment of administrators to run BCCI), the ACA will take appropriate steps, have a new body,” Ganga Raju told Express.
According to information from the ACA, the Vijayawada-based Ranga Raju owns an engineering college in Hyderabad. He is in his forties and not known to have played cricket at an organised level. The Lodha panel has not asked state bodies to put elections on hold, but said it would be “prudent” to hold them under the “guidance” of administrators. If the panel finds the election process “inconsistent” with the court order, it can declare it null and void.
Ganga Raju, also a BJP MP and vice-president of BCCI, sounded upbeat. “We are leaving behind our own international stadium, 38 grounds in 13 districts, four indoor facilities and a surplus of `70 crore. There’s no politics in the ACA.”
atreyo@newindianexpress.com