CHENNAI : It seems like tensions between Tamil Nadu Football Association (TFA) and Chennai Football Association (CFA) are set to continue.In the latest development, TFA put out a press release on Monday, saying that CFA AGM and polls held on June 30 are subject to court order, and that the inclusion of the name of E Sugumaran by election committee member V Thiagarajan for the post of CFA secretary is therefore invalid. According to Article 30.3.7 of District Football Association Statutes, Sugumaran, who was CFA secretary during the previous term, was automatically disqualified for subsequent elections, said the TFA release. But he still filed a nomination for the same post.
However, the election committee rejected it and Sugumaran’s name did not appear in the list of candidates that was released on June 23rd, which was signed by Thiagarajan. Later, Thiagarajan unilaterally issued the ballots for the post of secretary with Sugumaran’s name signed by himself, according to TFA president Jesiah Villavarayar. “Thiagarajan has acted in a biased manner with some previous TFA officials also supporting the cause. We had made it clear that none of these will be valid till there is a decision on pending cases in the High Court,” Jesiah told Express.
However, Sugumaran moved the court after his decision to contest, and was re-elected as secretary. “If we don’t conduct elections, they have the authority to put an ad hoc representative. So we had to go ahead to avoid such a situation,” Sugumaran said. TFA had directed CFA via a letter that the elections and AGM of CFA will not be be valid until the outcome of the orders of the applications pending in the court.
That the elections and AGM happened after CFA gave an undertaking to defer both — which was recorded in the presence of mediator appointed by Chennai High Court, as per the TFA release — has angered the parent body. “Despite agreeing to not hold elections, they went ahead. They are not only disobeying the parent body but also the court,” Jesiah said.
“Even if they went ahead with the elections, they could have not published the results. We had requested them to wait till the court takes a decision. As parent body, we have the authority to tell them that.” However, Sugumaran claimed that he had not received any such indication through any letter. The next High Court hearing on the above will be on July 23, according to Jesiah.
vimalsankar@newindianexpress.com