The Supreme Court has, for the third time, deferred announcing the results of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections, in which expelled IPL chairman Lalit Modi contested for the president's post. On January 17 the court had adjourned the hearing to January 27, but today the BCCI legal counsel objected to results being declared before their case could be heard.

"He [Modi] is disqualified. He could not have fought the RCA polls at all. It is for the court to decide once we have raised our challenge," a BCCI official said.

The RCA elections were held on December 19 under the supervision of two Supreme Court-appointed observers. Although Modi supporters were gung-ho about having snatched the majority of the 33 votes, the ballots were kept in a sealed envelope. The court was originally supposed to reveal the results on January 6, but BCCI senior counsel CA Sundaram argued then that the court first hear whether Modi's expulsion ought to be considered.

In a setback to Modi, the court agreed to hear the BCCI challenge in case he won the polls. But today Sundaram raised the objection that the court could not open the envelopes till the BCCI had argued its case. Having heard all parties the court decided to allow the BCCI raise the challenge against Modi's candidature before opening the results on March 4.

While expelling Modi on multiple charges of misconduct, the BCCI had said that "he shall not in future be entitled to hold any position or office, or be admitted in any committee or any member or associate member of the board". Modi, however, got his candidature for the RCA presidency approved by the Supreme Court by exploiting a technicality that the RCA was governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act.