NEW DELHI: The All India Football Federation's (AIIF) annual general meeting will be held online on Monday. However, there is no clarity over elections. They are due but not on the agenda. State associations are hoping the meeting will give some updates on the election procedure.
The current executive committee's four-year term is set to end on Monday. Under normal circumstances, elections would have been the primary agenda of the AGM. Praful Patel, who has been AIFF president since 2012, will be ineligible to contest as per the National Sports Development Code. According to the Code, the president of a national sports federation can hold office for a maximum of three terms.
Out of 36 state associations, 21 had written to the AIFF asking them to hold talks on the delay in conducting elections in order to find a way out and zero in on a date. The federation had written back stating that due to non-finalisation of its constitution, elections could not be held. They have asked the Supreme Court to allow the current EC to continue till a new one is formed. The election procedure has not started and the matter is still in court.
"Why go to the court one month prior to the AGM? Why not before that? This looks bad on part of the incumbents and Indian football is being shown in poor light, especially with so many foreign clubs and corporations looking at us as a viable market," a member of one of the state associations which had written to the parent body said.
Court-appointed administrator Dr SY Quraishi has already informed that his draft constitution was ready in December last year and submitted to the Supreme Court in January 2020 in a sealed cover.
"We are hoping Patel says something on this issue tomorrow. Or somebody broaches the topic. Only then can some sort of constructive talk take place. Finding a way forward is the need of the hour," another state association official added.
Former India goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey had filed a petition before the Supreme Court, seeking to direct the AIFF to hold elections "at an early date". Budget talks and other administrative discussions are on the agenda.