MUMBAI: The results of what is expected to be no contest elections at the Board of Control for Cricket in India will be declared in Mumbai on October 18, the day of the BCCI’s annual general meeting (AGM).
Key office bearers of the most powerful sporting body in the country for the next three years, president and secretary in particular, will be declared on that day.
As for how it will pan out, what happened at the Hockey India elections on Friday provides for a good “dress rehearsal”. The HI elections were actually scheduled to be held on October 1 but the results were declared in advance as there were no contests for any of the posts, paving the way for the candidates to be elected unopposed.
The only point of interest really as far as the elections are concerned is whether sitting board secretary Jay Shah is elected / nominated (take your pick) as the new BCCI president or if Sourav Ganguly retains his position.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, electoral officer AK Joti, a former chief election commissioner of India, in a notice to the state associations on September 24, announced the official schedule for the elections.
“The Electoral Officer, BCCI, hereby invites Full Members of the BCCI to submit applications to have their respective representatives (‘Representatives’) included in the Electoral Roll for the Election to be held at the General Meeting of the BCCI, on 18 October 2022, for the posts specified below:
A. Five (05) posts of Office Bearers under Rule 6 of the BCCI Constitution: President, Vice President, Secretary, Joint Secretary and Treasurer;
B. One (01) Elective post of Member of the Apex Council under Rule 14 of the BCCI Constitution;
C. Two (02) Elective posts of Members of the Governing Council under Rule 28 of the BCCI Constitution,” said the notification in the report.
Delineating the rules while filing in the nominations, which are to be filed on October 11 and 12, the notice stated: “Full Members are advised to take necessary care and due diligence while nominating their Representatives to participate in the BCCI General Election, as per their constitutional documents, the BCCI Constitution and the instructions/ directions/notifications issued by the Committee of Administrators, BCCI, in this regard.
“A Representative will be deemed to be eligible to participate in the BCCI Election on behalf of his/her Full Member only if the application filed by the Full Member and Representative meets all the requirements specified, and includes all the documentation prescribed in Paragraph 3 above, and the Electoral Officer, BCCI is satisfied that such person is not disqualified under the applicable rules.
“Please be aware that in the event the Electoral Officer, BCCI deems a proposed Representative to be ineligible to participate in the BCCI Election, it will not be possible for the Full Member to nominate a replacement. Therefore, it is essential that all formalities are duly complied with by the Full Member and the proposed Representative in the first instance.”
The report added that the electoral officer reserves the right to require further information or seek clarification on and in respect of any matter relating to the BCCI election. “In case of any disputes or objection arising with respect to the BCCI election, from the declaration or publication of electoral roll of qualified members to the declaration of results including but not limited to objection to candidacy, disqualification, eligibility to vote or the admission or rejection of a vote, the Electoral Officer, BCCI shall decide the same and such a decision shall be final and conclusive.”
As per the detailed timeline of the elections, the deadline for Members to File Applications to Nominate their Representatives is October 4. It will be followed by release of Draft Electoral Roll on October 5 and submission of objections to names in the draft electoral roll on October 6 and 7.
The report added that the examination of Objections and Decisions; and release of final electoral roll will be on October 10. The window to file nomination application (to Be filed in person) opens on October 11 and 12 while the scrutiny of nomination applications will take place on October 13.
It concluded by saying that the announcement of list of validly nominated candidates will happen on October 13 and withdrawal of Nominations is scheduled for October 14. The announcement of list of contesting candidates will come on October 15 while the election and declaration of results will happen at the AGM on October 18.
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