NEW DELHI: In a major relief to the state associations who were facing difficulties in implementing the Lodha panel recommendations, the Supreme Court indicated that it is willing to reconsider the policy of one state-one-vote.
Due to the policy of one state-one vote, six full-members of the BCCI — Mumbai, Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Baroda, Gujarat and Saurashtra — have been assigned only one vote on a rotation basis and all had filed an affidavit before the apex court asking a relook on the issue. Similarly Railways, Services and Universities were denied voting rights. However, this could change with this latest observation from a three judge bench comprising of Justices Dipak Misra, AM Khan-wilkar and DY Chandrachud.
“One state-one vote may not be a good idea in this country. There are Railways, Services, universities, Maharashtra, Baroda. Their arguments have impressed upon us to some extent. We may consider the issue in future debates. How, many vote they can have, we will debate,” the bench said.
The bench has also given indications that it will also look into its July 18, 2016 order which made the number of national selectors cut down from five to three. The BCCI has been arguing that with the number of first-class matches played across the country, it wouldn’t be practically possible for three to cover the entire season.
Meanwhile, the court refused to grant permission to N Srinivasan, representative of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and Niranjan Shah of Saurashtra Cricket Association to attend the upcoming BCCI SGM scheduled for July 26.
“The SGM shall be held at the time and the date is fixed. The meeting shall be attended only by the office bearers of the associations, not by nominees or representatives,” the apex court bench said.
Both Srinivasan and Shah had attended the previous meeting. Both were disqualified from becoming the office bearers of BCCI or state cricket bodies as they were past 70 years age cap and also on had complented the stipulated time frame of 18 years as administrators in state and national body.
The bench also asked the state cricket bodies to implement the Lodha panel report as far as practical barring certain issues and said, “The purpose is to implement the report as far as practicable and, thereafter, it shall be debated as to how the scheme of things can be considered so that the cricket, the ‘gentleman’s game’, remains nearly perfect.”The bench has fixed the matter for hearing on August 18.