BHUBANESWAR: Senior BJP leader and former minister Samir Dey on Friday demanded the resignation of BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das as the president of the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA).
Dey was elected as the president of the Football Association of Odisha (FAO) without contest as no other candidate filed nomination papers. Friday was the last date of filing of nomination papers for the post. He will be formally announced as FAO president on July 21.
Incumbent secretary of FAO Ashirbad Behera and his panel of candidates for other posts are likely to be elected on July 21. Sources said a majority of 241 votes will go in favour of Behera’s panel.
Dey alleged during his tenure as OCA president, Das had done nothing for the promotion of cricket or any other sport. “He had become the OCA president for his own benefit,” he said further mentioning that cricket administration in the state also needs a change to take the game forward.
“When BJD was in government, sports bodies were captured by the regional outfit and used for political benefit. Large-scale corruption has taken place in the sports sector,” the BJP leader rued adding, the matter will be investigated by the new government in the state.
BJD Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantray resigned as the FAO president on Tuesday reportedly because his name was not forwarded by the Radharaman club. Samantray was the FAO president for the last two terms.