CHENNAI: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) may finally have a new chief next month. The first step towards that is the appointment of a returning officer. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday appointed former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mahesh Mittal Kumar as the returning officer to conduct WFI elections. The IOA wants polls to be held by July 4 but Justice Mittal can decide when the special general meeting (SGM) could be called where the elections will be conducted.
As per the WFI constitution, elections can be held either in an annual general meeting or SGM. A clear 21-day notice is required to call an SGM. If a notice in this regard is issued on Tuesday, the elections can be conducted on July 4, the date that is doing the rounds on Monday. However, there is a high chance of it being pushed behind by a few days.
IOA joint secretary & acting CEO Kalyan Chaubey on Monday confirmed the appointment of Justice Mittal through an official letter, also authorising him to appoint an assistant returning officer (ARO) and other staff to assist him in conducting the elections.
Chaubey has also indicated that the pending election of WFI will be held within the next three weeks and the election schedule is expected to be issued by the returning officer soon. Presently, the WFI has 25 affiliated state units including the union territories of Chandigarh and Delhi. A member can send two representatives to cast their votes in the elections taking the total tally to 50 votes.
However, more than one associations are in existence in a few states. Besides, as per the WFI website, three units — Maharashtra, Manipur and Uttarakhand — do not have registration certificates issued by the Register of Firms and Societies of respective states. A total of 26 units voted in the previous elections in 2019. However, Goa is missing from the list of affiliated units this time around.
June 15 D-Day
Union sports minister Anurag Thakur, after his meeting with protesting wrestlers on June 7, had said that WFI elections will be conducted by June 30. Thakur then had also assured the wrestlers that the government will not allow any of the family members or associates of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to contest elections, after which the wrestlers had suspended their stir till June 15. The sports minister said a charge sheet against Brij Bhushan will be submitted to the court by June 15.
The protesting wrestlers including Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, however, insisted a few days later that they will resume the protest if a weak charge sheet is presented in the court. Given the situation, a lot depends on the charge sheet and how wrestlers react to it. Sources in the know of things claimed that Brij Bhushan's move could be known once the charge sheet is submitted. "It all depends on the charge sheet. If nothing concrete is submitted against him (Brij Bhushan), candidates close to him can contest for key posts," a source in the know of things told this daily.
Haryana BJP prez wrestlers' choice for WFI chief?
Highly placed sources informed this daily that protesting wrestlers have apparently suggested the name of former Haryana cabinet minister and incumbent BJP president from the state Om Prakash Dhankar for the president's post. Similarly, NR Choudhary, former secretary of the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), is the grapplers' choice for the post of secretary. Gian Singh, who has recently been added to the ad hoc committee, is their choice for the treasurer's post. "These names have been suggested to the home minister and sports minister by the wrestlers. But it all depends on how things pan out on June 15," said sources.