CHENNAI: Rebuked by the Supreme Court time and again for stalling the reform process, the BCCI found itself cornered further on Thursday, as the bench directed the office-bearers to play an active role in implementing the order.
Show-caused for being non-cooperative, the three officials were told to provide “suggestions” on the constitution the committee of administrators (CoA) has been asked to draft.
While acting president CK Khanna, secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry were told they will face “consequences” amounting to contempt proceedings for failing to cooperate, there was a consolation for BCCI as well.
The bench reiterated that the contentious one-state-one-vote clause will be reconsidered. Voting rights for Railways, Services and five-member selection committee are the other points that can also be reviewed.
The bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra told the three officials present in court that nothing has been done in terms of implementing last year’s order and that they can’t keep saying the state units have been resisting.
However, it can also be noted that despite warning them of “consequences”, the bench is yet to accept the CoA’s proposal that the three be sacked for blocking the process, like former president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke.
“Other than this, the court saying that the one-state-one-vote rule will be reviewed is also good news for us. This was a major objection and now that the office-bearers have been asked to give inputs, we can assume that this point will be brought up again. This should be in the list of suggestions they want to put forward. If accepted, it will be a significant concession,” a senior BCCI member told Express.
The CoA has already submitted its draft constitution to the three-member special bench, based on the Lodha panel recommendations. Even if the part about voting rights is reconsidered, the rest of it has to be put in place.
This means the BCCI’s reservations against age and tenure cap, and cooling-off period of three years between each term will not be entertained.
“That’s true, but salvaging something would be better than losing everything,” said the member.
The BCCI office-bearers have been told that they can’t call a meeting to discuss suggestions with other members. Although no deadline was set, conveying their thoughts to the CoA has to happen over the new few weeks, since October 30 is the next date for the hearing.
Having defied the order for over a year, it seems the BCCI has to finally fall in line now, with a consolation to show for their resistance.
atreyo@newindianexpress.com