CHENNAI: The All India Chess Federation (AICF) elections saga took a dramatic turn on Sunday. Returning officer FMI Kalifulla rejected the candidature of the entire panel headed by AICF president PR Venketrama Raja for a technical error in filing nominations.
If this stands, candidates from the faction led by secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan will win unopposed when elections take place in Hyderabad on February 23. Retired Justice Kalifulla was appointed returning officer by a division bench of the Madras HC after the two sides called elections in different cities on different dates. After scrutinising the 30 nominations, Kalifulla ruled that 23 have violated the national sports code by not filing their nominations in person. This includes all 15 from the Raja panel, including him and RM Dongre, the aspirant for the secretary’s post from this group.
Saying that a candidate “should file his nomination paper personally by handing it over to the Returning Officer”, Kalifulla ruled that the “candidature of the following persons for different posts having failed to comply with the mandatory requirement of para 6.4 (of the sports code), they cannot be held to be validly nominated candidates.” The matter is set to reach the court again. “I can’t say which court at the moment, but we will definitely challenge this decision,” said Dongre. “It’s a technical glitch and not a massive one at that. We went to him (Kalifulla) to submit nominations on January 30. On that day, the nominations were not received. I don’t think nominations can be cancelled en bloc for this reason.” They can go to the same division bench or the Supreme Court.
Although the candidatures of eight members of the Chauhan section were also cancelled, they have valid nominations for the key posts. These include Ajay Patel, Chauhan and Naresh Sharma, who are fighting for the posts of president, secretary and treasurer, respectively. Anticipating more court battle, they are treating this as victory nonetheless.
“If things stay the way they are at the moment, I will be elected secretary unopposed on February 23,” said Chauhan.
Asked about rivals taking the legal route, he said the returning officer’s decision should be final. “The court appointed the returning officer to conduct elections. I’m not sure whether his decisions can be challenged. Or even if they are, whether they should be overturned.”