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Defiant RCA conducts polls

Last Updated 19 December 2013, 19:21 IST

Elections to the Rajasthan Cricket Association were held here on Thursday amid tight security. The BCCI had earlier threatened to disqualify the state cricket body for allowing Lalit Modi to contest the elections.

Modi, who was banned by the BCCI for alleged irregularities as the IPL commissioner, contested for the president’s post. At present, he is the president of the Nagaur district cricket association.

The results could not be announced on Thursday as a special leave petition is pending in the Supreme Court, challenging the validity of the Rajasthan Sports Act, 2005. The RCA is governed by this act.

Thursday’s elections were overseen by two retired judges appointed by the Supreme Court. Justices N M Kasliwal and S P Pathak on Wednesday cleared Modi's candidature, allowing him to contest against Bhilwara District Cricket Association's Rampal Sharma, who is believed to be close to incumbent president C P Joshi, a Congress heavyweight.

Joshi did not contest this time as many of his supporters deserted him following the change in the state’s political landscape.

The Supreme Court-appointed observers sent the results to the apex court in sealed envelopes. The results would be announced only on the court’s direction. The next hearing on the SLP is scheduled for January 6, 2014.

Meanwhile, Modi’s lawyer Mehmood Abid, who was a candidate for the vice-president’s post, slammed BCCI’s threat to disqualify RCA.

“The threat is nothing but a motivated malicious campaign by BCCI president N Srivinasan against Lalit Modi,” he said.

The Modi group has claimed an overwhelming support of 27 of the 33 district units.
Now that Modi is set to be elected president, Rajasthan could lose the right to send players to BCCI-affiliated tournaments. Jaipur might also not be allowed to host matches, resulting in a huge financial losses.

RCA reply

Meanwhile, RCA wrote to BCCI pointing out that the elections were held as per Supreme Court orders.

“The elections to RCA are taking place in terms of orders passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in SLP (C) No 36140/2010,” RCA officiating secretary K K Sharma wrote in a letter to BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel.

“The decision in respect of eligibility/dis-eligibility of any candidate including Lalit Modi to contest the forthcoming elections of Rajasthan Cricket Association has been taken by the Observers Hon’ble Mr Justice NM Kasliwal and Hon’ble Mr Justice SP Pathak, who were only entitled to take such a decision as per the orders of the Hon’ble Apex Court.”

The letter added: “The Observers have rejected all objections raised against candidature of Lalit Modi and have by a speaking order permitted Mr Lalit Modi to contest the elections. The RCA cannot flout the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and interfere in the conduct of elections by Supreme Court appointed Observers.

“We also assume that BCCI is not asking RCA to act contrary to the orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court or asking it to interfere in the conduct of elections being held under the order of Hon’ble Supreme Court”, the letter said.

On the other hand, RCA counsel Abhinav Sharma said that BCCI can’t disaffiliate RCA because it would be contempt of court.

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(Published 19 December 2013, 19:21 IST)

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