CoA extends deadline for elections in states

New Delhi, Sept. 24: The BCCI’s much-awaited elections have been rescheduled by a day to October 23 in the wake of assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, Chairman of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) running Indian cricket Vinod Rai said on Tuesday.

Both the states will be voting on October 21 in a single-phase elections and to ensure that voter members from the two units are not inconvenienced, the Cricket Board poll, which was to be held on October 22, has been postponed by a day.

“The BCCI elections are on track. It’s just because of the state polls, we have decided to reschedule by a day. So it will now be held on October 23 instead of October 22. Anything else that you read anywhere will be factually incorrect,” Rai said on Tuesday.

The CoA also extended the deadline for conducting elections of BCCI’s state units by a week, to October 4. Another CoA member Diana Edulji said while she is “against any delay in conducting the BCCI elections,” she understands that a day’s extension is due to state polls.

“As per the Supreme Court order passed on September 20, the state units may be granted a few days’ grace but BCCI elections should be on time. We may defer it by a day due to assembly elections in Maharashtra on 21st,” the former India women’s captain said.

Rai was happy with the outcome of the Supreme Court hearing on the Tuesday during which its petition seeking clarification on the permission granted to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association to hold elections, was admitted.

“Today, the petition came up for hearing. The BCCI counsel was there, TNCA counsel and amicus curiae PS Narsimha was there. I am happy with the outcome. The SC took cognisance of the fact that some state units are misinterpreting the order mischievously on ‘disqualification being confined to officebearers only’,” said Rai.

“Many felt it meant that the 70-year clause (age cap), non-Indian passport holder clause have been done away with, which is not the case,” he said.

As per the SC order passed on September 20, the state units may be granted a few days’ grace but BCCI elections should be on time.

—DIANA EDULJI, CoA member