BCCI working committee to decide AGM date on Feb 8

The BCCI's working committee will meet in Chennai on February 8 to finalise the date of its much-delayed annual general meeting. The election of the new set of office-bearers will be held at the AGM.

This will be the first working committee since a Supreme Court order on January 22 asked N Srinivasan to choose between his role in the board and his ownership of the Chennai Super Kings franchise. The working committee in its emergent meeting will formally discuss the Supreme Court directives and decide on the future course of action.

The focal point of the meeting would be to decide the AGM date and issue a notice for the meeting. The Court had ordered the BCCI to convene the AGM on or before March 5. Since the BCCI rules requires at least 21 days' notice for the AGM, the notification needs to be issued by February 12.

The board members expect that a presidential candidate could be finalized by February 8. With the court virtually ruling out Srinivasan's continuation as the BCCI president, there is uncertainty over the next BCCI regime. It is expected that most BCCI members could discuss a way forward during an informal dinner on the eve of the meeting, although the issue of Srinivasan's successor is unlikely to be brought up on February 8.

Some members believe that the Bharatiya Janata Party, the principal ruling political party in India that controls one-third of the 30 votes in the BCCI, may not drift away from Srinivasan's lobby. In such a case, a candidate from his group would be the most likely option for Srinivasan to continue controlling the BCCI indirectly.

In such a case, Srinivasan loyalists Shivlal Yadav and Sanjay Patel are front-runners to take over. While Yadav has been in charge of the BCCI's administrative affairs over the last year, after the courts forced Srinivasan to be sidelined, Patel is the secretary of the board. If the BJP prefers to have its own face as the BCCI chief, then joint secretary Anurag Thakur could be the main contender. Rajiv Shukla, a vice-president, is the dark horse in the race of a consensus candidate, as the former federal minister enjoys a healthy relationship with the BJP.

Some of Srinivasan's opponents have been trying to convince former BCCI president Sharad Pawar to contest but he has been non-committal so far. Even if Pawar decides to enter the fray or nominate one of his allies to challenge Srinivasan's nominee, he will find it difficult to fulfil the criteria for filing nomination papers.

The BCCI president is nominated by each of its five zones by rotation. An eligible candidate - one who has attended at least two AGMs and has held the post of president, secretary, joint secretary, treasurer or vice-president earlier - needs the backing of at least two member associations from the specified zone. This year, it is the east zone's turn to nominate the president. So far, all the six member associations of the zone have pledged their support to Srinivasan's group and, as long they back him, a challenger is unlikely to emerge.