Court Set to Declare Rajasthan Cricket Association Election Results; Will Lalit Modi Return?

Lalit Modi contested the Rajasthan Cricket Association elections in December last year. The BCCI has objected to Modi's return by challenging a Sports Act that let the banned former IPL boss contest.

According to a Supreme Court order last week, the Rajasthan Cricket Association election results will be declared in Jaipur on Tuesday. The votes, in a sealed envelope, will be opened by court-appointed officers, who supervised the December 19 elections last year. Lalit Modi is seeking to return as RCA president, but legalities and the Board of Control for Cricket in India's regulations are likely to stand in the way.

"I am extremely happy that the Supreme Court has taken the right decision and allowed the due democratic process to go forward. We are hoping our group will win the elections. If we do win we will have an agenda and vision which I will make clear after the results," Modi said after judge AR Dave passed the order last week.

The BCCI and former RCA chief Kishore Rungta are vehemently opposing Modi's return. Although the BCCI has conceded defeat in Supreme Court - saying Modi has won 26 of the 33 votes - the Board has been allowed to challenge the controversial Rajasthan Sports Act that enabled Modi to contest for the president's post for a second time.

The Supreme Court has also allowed the Board, an autonomous body, to take its own action against RCA. In December, after Modi filed his nomination, the Board had threatened to suspend Rajasthan. In September last year, Modi was banned by the BCCI for financial wrongdoings. Fifty-year-old Modi has challenged the decision in court.

Riding the Rajasthan Sports Act 2005, Modi contested the elections which were supervised by two retired Supreme Court judges, NM Kasliwal and SP Pathak. The votes, casted by 33 district units, were submitted to the apex court in a sealed envelope. The court has said that in case of any dispute regarding the elections, the candidates "can approach appropriate forums".

It means more battles will be fought in the court, effectively stalling Modi's second innings as RCA president. Modi lives in exile in UK and is seen as an arch-rival of 'suspended' BCCI president N. Srinivasan. Although Srinivasan is fighting allegations of IPL-related corruption in the Supreme Court, he continues to wield massive clout internally in the BCCI. Modi's return in Indian cricket administration is not going to be smooth.

Story first published on: Monday, 05 May 2014 21:23

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Shweta Pandey

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