BCCI officials yet to get election notice, Treasurer signs accounts under protest

BCCI (IANS)

New Delhi, Oct 7:  While the Committee of Administrators (CoA) sent out notices to the members of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the elections last week, they are yet to notify the office bearers of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), as well as the board election that will be held at the headquarters in Mumbai at 11 a.m. on October 23.

Speaking to IANS, a board functionary confirmed the same and also added that if the CoA tries to chair the meeting, it will be a violation of the Supreme Court approved constitution.

"The CoA is yet to send notices to the office bearers for the election. If the CoA does look to chair the AGM, it will be in violation of the Supreme Court approved constitution of the BCCI," the functionary said.

A board official said that it could be an attempt to prevent the officials from attending the BCCI AGM.

"While there is no provision in the constitution or in the SC order that can prevent the BCCI Office Bearers from attending the AGM, it could be a ploy to get the accounts of the board passed without anyone questioning the entries made," the official smiled.

In what comes as the biggest development in recent times, it is believed that Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry has signed the accounts under protest. While the Treasurer could not be reached for a comment, a senior functionary confirmed the same.

"Yes, the Treasurer did sign the accounts under protest. I am not in a position to answer for him so cannot provide any further details," the functionary said.

Looking at the recent turn of events, another functionary said that this year's AGM will also be an acid test for Deloitte -- the board's auditors.

"Why are they so scared of the office bearers attending the meeting? If they have committed no wrong, what could be the logic of attempting to keep away the office bearers? What happens if the accounts don't pass? The auditors will have a lot to answer to as it is their reputation that is on the line," the functionary said.

Apart from conducting elections, also on the October 23 agenda is adoption of the audited accounts of the BCCI for the financial years 2016-17 and 2017-18 and ratification of the appointment of statutory auditors of BCCI for the financial years 2017-18 and 2018-19.

The CoA, while sending the notice, had harped on the fact that only compliant members as determined by them in accordance with the Supreme Court judgment dated August 9, 2018 read with the order dated September 20 will be allowed to be a part of the General Body meeting.

But the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has already made it clear that the CoA doesn't have the right to stop any state association from attending the elections.