CoA faces a tough call

A critical stage in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reform drama is approaching and some state associations continue to be in defiance.

A critical stage in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reform drama is approaching and some state associations continue to be in defiance. The list includes big names like Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the board has set September 14 as the deadline for completing elections in 35 units. It is also the last date for nominating persons to vote at the BCCI annual general meeting on October 22. Around 10 states are still to become eligible to hold polls. Some have declared they can’t meet the deadline. The CoA faces a stern test, considering it has announced that failure to do so will result in cancellation of voting rights at the BCCI AGM.

Headed by Sourav Ganguly, the Bengal unit is planning to hold elections in early October. Tamil Nadu says it can’t do anything until its queries are answered by the Supreme Court. Madhya Pradesh has called for a meeting after the September 14 deadline. These amount to challenging the CoA directive. Last heard, the three-member body headed by Vinod Rai was firm in its stand that defiance would be strictly dealt with. It remains to be seen whether it sticks to it. Some of the states are under the impression that the guideline is flexible and holding elections before October 22 will do. If the CoA allows this, it will be a loss of face for the court-appointed panel, which has already been criticised for not doing its job properly.

On the other hand, stripping high-profile associations like Tamil Nadu, Bengal or Karnataka of voting rights is likely to lead to a fresh set of complications and court cases. Some of these units have started asking what is sacrosanct about September 14 and why they should be barred from voting if they complete everything by October 22. Having announced deadlines without taking into account these factors, the CoA does not appear to have an answer to this. As time ticks by, it has to choose between going back on its own words and taking a firm step that will remain as an example of upright and firm governance.

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