NEW DELHI: In their first significant move after taking charge of the BCCI, the dispensation headed by Sourav Ganguly seems set to get more than enough support needed to go ahead with the proposed changes in the constitution.
Notable among these is the one regarding cooling-off break. If done, this amendment will be a modification of a rule that was added to the board’s constitution following an order of the Supreme Court.
Other proposals include not making the Supreme Court’s approval mandatory when rules are amended, and handing over more power to the BCCI secretary than specified in the existing constitution. Along with the one on cooling-off, these will be tabled at the BCCI’s annual general meeting in Mumbai on Sunday.
According to the BCCI constitution, amendments can only be made if three-fourth of the members attending a special general body or annual general meeting support the proposal.
Even though not all 35 state units eligible to vote are in favour of the changes, more than 30 are. The handful who are against the motion may change their mind on the floor of the meeting, once they see that an overwhelming majority is voting for the amendments.
If the rules are amended, BCCI president Ganguly can be in office for longer, along with secretary Jay Shah and joint-secretary Jayesh George. All three had completed over five years in their state associations before assuming office in the board in October.
Following the existing rule, they have to take a cooling-off break of three years from next July for completing six years in office. The proposal says that time spent as state-unit office-bearer should not be added to time spent as BCCI office-bearer for determining length of tenure.
Given that an old trait of the BCCI is members going with the tide, exceptions are unlikely this time. Most of the old associations and the new units in BCCI fold from the Northeast are in favour of the change. Even if the odd one or two oppose the move, it won’t affect the outcome of voting. It is still not certain if those against will make their stand public.
“The proposed changes are for the benefit of BCCI,” said an official. “If tenure in state units is added to the period one has spent in BCCI to send a person on a cooling-off break, continuity will be disrupted. To ensure better governance, office-bearers need a minimum amount of time. So what we are suggesting is a minor modification to the existing rule. It’s not a show of disrespect to the court order, as it’s made out to be in certain quarters,” said an official.
Deck cleared to ring in changes that dilute the reform order, if not challenge it, there is one possible roadblock that the BCCI may have to negotiate. It has to be seen how the apex court reacts to the news of something that was ordered by its special bench is being undone just months after coming to existence.