Barely 24 hours before the 89th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), a legal notice has reportedly sent to restrict the body from convening the yearly meet, while also asking to conduct fresh elections to elect the new office bearers. (More Cricket News)
As reported by Republicworld, besides demanding the suspension of BCCI's 89th AGM in Ahmedabad, the notice also sought an inquiry against the Indian cricket body, including president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.
The notice is sent by the treasurer of the Jharkhand Cricket Association, Naresh Makani. And he claimed that there are 'numerous discrepancies, illegalities and irregularities' present within the BCCI.
While accusing Ganguly and Shah of occupying their respective posts illegally, in the notice (dated December 21) sent to the Registrar of Societies, 2020, Makani invoked BCCI's petition filed in the Supreme Court.
In fact, three BCCI office-bearers -- Ganguly, Shah and joint secretary Jayesh George -- have taken refuge to the petition to continue in their chair despite their terms getting over. The apex court is expected to take up the matter on January 20.
"It is stated herein that the entire process of elections is a facade and is being conducted in an arbitrary manner with mala fide intent by office bearers whose tenure already stands expired," the notice reads as quoted in the report. "The position of the Vice-President of the BCCI has been vacant since March 2020 as per the knowledge of my client despite which the said elections are being conducted which categorically enunciates upon the modus operandi of the present office-bearers as also the management of the BCCI."
For the uninitiated, in an audacious petition filed in May this year, the world's most powerful cricket board wanted the Supreme Court to amend six clauses in the new BCCI constitution that was passed by former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in August 2018.
It is on the basis of this petition that Ganguly, Shah and George have been continuing as BCCI office-bearers. All three are supposed to "cool off" having each served six years continuously at a state association or the BCCI.
As reported earlier by Outlook, the focus is now on "contesting interlocutory applications" that includes 14 petitions from state bodies like Tamil Nadu and Haryana and institutions like the Army, Railways and the Universities. Each of them are challenging the Lodha committee recommendations in some form or the other.
The BCCI AGM will be held on December 24. It will be presided by Ganguly. It will elect one vice-president and two members of the Governing Council. During the meet, if at all goes ahead, the BCCI will also decide on important matters like ratification of Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, tax issues pertaining to global ICC events like next year's T20 World Cup, the formation of cricket committees, etc.
