The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Board of Control for Cricket in India to go ahead with its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections slated for Sunday in Chennai, but with a rider that N Srinivasan cannot take charge even if he is re-elected as the president.
The apex court bench of Justice AK Patnaik and Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar said in case Srinivasan gets re-elected, he will not take charge of the BCCI till a decision on a petition filed by the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB). The court directed the matter to be listed for Monday. The CAB had moved the Supreme Court seeking to restrain Srinivasan from contesting the election on the ground that his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is facing probe on the allegations of betting during the sixth edition of the in the Indian Premier League.
“In the meanwhile the proposed annual general body meeting of BCCI may be held ... Election (too) may be held. In case Respondent 2 (Srinivasan) is elected he will not take the charge,” the apex court said in its order.
Initially Justice Patnaik observed that the BCCI AGM could be postponed till the court was seized of the matter but the suggestion was resisted by senior counsel CA Sundaram, who appeared for BCCI. “Why are you so keen to hold election when Supreme Court is seized of the matter,” Justice Patnaik asked. “If father-in-law is allowed to become the president (of BCCI) and son-in-law is involved (in the allegations of betting and passing team information) what will happen,” asked Justice Patnaik.
But a defiant Srinivasan said he would stand for election as “nobody” has stopped him from doing so. “Nobody has stopped me from contesting elections and attending the AGM. Before taking my comments, kindly go through the observations made by the honourable Supreme Court. It states clearly that I have not been stopped from attending the AGM and I am also going to contest the election, why shall I not contest the elections?” said Srinivasan.
In fact, Srinivasan’s election for an added one-year term as BCCI President is a real possibility given that he has the backing of all the six units of South Zone, whose turn it is to nominate a candidate for the top job. But given the technicalities arising out of the order, the Board can hardly afford to have a President who cannot take charge immediately as interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya does not have any signing authority. The situation thus becomes quite peculiar opening up some new options for the BCCI, which might consider giving signing authority to Dalmiya as interim chief as Srinivasan remains the preferred choice of South Zone. It is also learnt that about 20 BCCI members are expected to attend Srinivasan’s party in a five-star hotel in Chennai where they will pledge support to the Tamil Nadu strongman.
New officials?
Srinivasan is also mulling over making some changes in his team as he gears up for a stormy third year in office as the BCCI president.
While interim secretary Sanjay Patel may get a full term, there is a big question mark over whether Mumbai Cricket Association president Ravi Savant would continue as the treasurer. Andhra Cricket Association secretary Gokaraju Gangaraju, Kerala CA’s TC Mathew’s name is also doing the rounds for treasurer.