Call on validity of election to be taken by SC, not CoA: State official

BCCI (IANS)

New Delhi, Sep 25:  Modifying their September 16 clarifications in accordance with the September 20 order of the Supreme Court, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) have also issued a warning to the state associations saying that those bodies which haven't reworked their constitutions in line with the new BCCI constitution could have their election results ignored. But state bodies feel that the CoA is again headed down the wrong path.

Speaking to IANS, a senior state association official said that just like in the case of the earlier SC order and the clarification, all decisions with regard to the election can also be taken only by the apex court.

"Whoever has advised them legally with regard to the advisory that they have just issued has once again set them up for a fall. When the Supreme Court itself has clarified the position, it does not bode well for them to muck it up again. Any call on the validity of the election result would be taken up by the SC and not by the CoA," the official said.

The CoA in the release had written: "The State Associations who have not brought their constitutions in line with the BCCI Constitution run the risk of their election results not being recognised."

Pointing at the earlier clarifications that the state associations wanted from the SC, a state body official said: "All of us wish to follow the court's directions. But in case of doubts or decisions, it is only the court that can issue clarifications or take a call. The CoA does not have that authority."

A bench of Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice L. Nageswara Rao on Friday allowed the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) to hold elections to the post of Assistant Secretary and further directed that disqualification shall be confined only to those who had held the post of "Office Bearers" of the cricket associations. They also added that this order shall apply to all the states cricket associations.