Removed from kabaddi, Gehlot set to be IOA VP

NEW DELHI: So what if Janardhan Gehlot has been removed as ‘life president’ of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) by court, he is all set to become the vice president of the Indian Olympic Association.

Gehlot, who has been removed by the Delhi High Court and not granted relief by the Supreme Court, has been nominated for the post of IOA vice-president, the election to which will take place during the annual general meeting of the body on December 22.

Election will also be held for the post of senior vice-president for which AITA life president Anil Khanna has been nominated. However, since there are no other candidates in the fray, the two are set to assume office come December 22.

When contacted, IOA president Narinder Batra said anyone is free to contest election if he is not “banned or convicted”. “This is election and anyone can file nomination if he is not banned/ convicted or any such issue is there. I can’t stop anyone (from standing in the election),” Batra said.

“If there is any ban then of course he cannot fight election. He has not been indicted and inquiry is on,” he added.

“There is only one nomination for the post of vice-president and one nomination for the post of senior vice-president, so both get automatically elected,” he added.

The nomination list, put up on IOA website, dated December 9, is signed by Devender Kumar Nailwal, District Judge (retd) as Returning Officer. Gehlot’s name is proposed by Arun Kumar Saraswat and seconded by Anandeshwar Pandey.

The Delhi High Court on August 3 quashed the appointment of Gehlot and his wife Mridul Bhadauria Gehlot as “life president” and president of the AKFI, saying they held the body to “ransom” by treating it as their “family enterprise”. Gehlot is currently the president of Rajasthan Olympic Association.