CHENNAI: At least two state associations remain non-compliant, inviting the risk of being ruled ineligible to vote at the BCCI elections slated for October 22. Tamil Nadu and Haryana are yet to submit amended and updated constitutions to the Committee of Administrators (CoA), who maintain that failure to hold elections following new guidelines by September 28 will result in the loss of voting rights.
With CoA chief Vinod Rai ruling out changes in their stand and the concerned associations insisting on hearing from the court before holding elections, a collision seems to be on the cards. Tamil Nadu has already moved court saying that the CoA can’t order elections before the bench has heard their plea.
On Friday, sources in the Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) claimed the CoA doesn’t have the right to bar state units from the BCCI’s election process.
Rai maintains that no exception will be made. “The dates have been announced and there will be no change. September 28 is the outer deadline for state associations to complete elections and October 22 is the BCCI annual general meeting. If there are associations who want to stay out of the election process of the board, it’s up to them. Their cricket activities will not suffer, but they will stay out of elections,” Rai told this newspaper on Friday.
Although Rai didn’t say how many, it is learnt that following the submissions by Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, four of the 38 units remain non-compliant. Papers submitted by Arunachal and Uttarakhand are under scrutiny, which leaves Tamil Nadu and Haryana as the ones still to comply. Saying that several units approached the CoA for clarifications, Rai told a news agency, “None from Tamil Nadu or Haryana came to us.”
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an HCA source questioned whether the CoA has the authority to bar any association from voting.
“The CoA asked the court if they can stop someone from voting for not submitting updated constitutions. The court is still to reply. So how can they say that X or Y can’t vote.”
Elaborating, the source claimed that the HCA is already compliant, if concessions granted to certain other units are considered. “If those are given to us, we will also be compliant. Then, our talks with the (court-appointed) amicus curiae have been fruitful. Moreover, our argument regarding fundamental rights is awaiting adjudication. To rule us ineligible before the hearing amounts to going beyond jurisdiction.”