IPL polls: Dalmiya, key man

April 02, 2015 06:54 am | Updated April 07, 2015 06:29 pm IST - Mumbai:

There has been no sign of the factionalism in the BCCI being resolved, with two lists being submitted to the president, Jagmohan Dalmiya, for consideration in the IPL governing council. Clearly divided at the delayed 2013-14 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Chennai on March 2, the 29 full members adopted resolutions to elect many standing committees as per rule 27 of the BCCI Memorandum of Rules and Regulations, but the IPL-GC was not elected.

After Lalit Modi was removed as chairman of the IPL at the conclusion of the final on April 25, 2010, the BCCI amended its by-laws that mandate the AGM to elect the IPL chairman every year. The BCCI, with Sharad Pawar as president, had flouted long-standing conventions, by electing Lalit Modi as chairman for five years.

The grapevine has it that BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has drawn up a list and another group, purportedly owing allegiance to former president and ICC Chairman N. Srinivasan, has also presented a list.

As things stand on Wednesday, six days before the inauguration of the Pepsi-IPL-8 at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, host venues and franchisees are completely confused not knowing whom to approach for matters related to the Twenty20 tournament.

With global event management company IMG involved in running the show, the logistics management is being carried out efficiently. The IPL-GC consists of a chairman, five members appointed by the Board and two ex-cricketers of repute.

According to sources one list has the names of Rajiv Shukla (UPCA), Dr. P.V. Shetty (MCA), Kapil Malhotra (Cricket Club of India), a member from Tripura and TNCA and cricketers Chetan Chauhan and Ravi Shastri.

The same source could not confirm names other than that of Ranjib Biswal (IPL-Chairman, 2014) and Kapil Malhotra in the second list. “I have no idea what’s happening, maybe there will be some clarity in two or three days,” said Biswal.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has invited BCCI members to a function to felicitate Dalmiya on Thursday (April 2) and it’s speculated that the awkward issue could be sorted out in the event of the interested parties showing up.

It is also understood that meetings between individuals expressing loyalty to N. Srinivasan and Dalmiya took place before their departure to Australia to watch the World Cup semifinals and final.

Two representatives from each member unit have also been invited for the IPL-8 opening ceremony, but a working committee meeting has not been convened, to consider the IPL-GC.

A BCCI rule says: “The Governing Council shall be appointed by the General Body at every AGM of the Board and the term of the members of the committee shall be for one year.”

The rule also says that the existing governing council shall stand dissolved upon the approval of the amendment by the general body at the AGM of the Board.

The BCCI rules also empowers the working committee to “do all acts and things necessary and expedient to carry out the objects of the Board and not herein expressly specified and the President to exercise such functions and duties as may be empowered on him personally by the Board or by the Working Committee.”

With BCCI members likely to be present in Kolkata in the next few days, the tricky issue of the IPL-GC may be resolved.

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