BAI given 90 days to amend constitution, hold re-elections

The ministry said government has examined the replies sent by the BAI President and secretary General in response to its showcause notice issued in August and found that proper procedures were not followed in the elections of its office bearers.

"After careful consideration of all facts and circumstances in the instant case, it is unequivocally concluded that BAI has not only violated the government guidelines, which make it liable to de-recognition, but has also violated its own constitution provisions in not following du process in the conduct of elections of its office bearers, which make it also liable for derecognisation as the national sports federation for badminton in India," the Sports Ministry said in a letter to BAI.

"However taking into consideration the larger interest of the sport and the sports persons engaged in it, the government hereby grants, as a last opportunity, 90 days to BAI to amend its constitution in accordance with guidelines for recognition of National Sport Federation...and hold the fresh election in fair , democratic and transparent manner following due process in accordance with the well formulated election bye-laws," it added.

Under secretary in the Sports Ministry Shankar Lal in the letter also gave a description of guidelines which needs to be followed by the BAI during the process of their re-election.

"The election bye-laws must incorporate, interalia, appointment of an independent returning officer, publication of voter list, issuance of notice for election by the Returning Officer inviting nominations in the prescribed form, indicating the dates of submission, scrutiny and with drawl of nominations, and publication of final list of candidates, holding of elections through a secret ballot for the post simultaneously, and declaration of results for all the posts together. Further there should be sufficient time gap between the different states of elections," the letter said.

The letter also enunciated the specific clauses which were not followed by the BAI during the election process of its office bearers.

The BAI went into collision course with the Sport Ministry over its tenure limitation guidelines when it declared itself to be self-sufficient and said it did not need governing funding.

The Sports Ministry then issued a showcause notice in August to BAI asking it to explain within 14 days as to why the government should not derecognise the Federation.