BCCI AGM scheduled for September postponed

New Delhi, The annual general meeting (AGM) of the BCCI is likely to be postponed after the Supreme Court’s decision to grant a two-month extension to the Mudgal committee to file its report on the IPL spotfixing scandal. As per convention, the AGM happens in the last week of September. But with the Supreme Court not allowing N Srinivasan to take charge as president before the Mudgal committee files its report, the delay seems inevitable. Shivlal Yadav is the interim president but board authorities indicated that all accounts have to be signed by the “democratically elected president. “The BCCI, as per constitution, doesn’t have the provision for an interim president.Srinivasan has to sign all the documents before it can be placed before the working committee,” a source close to the developments told TOI. IANS added from a top BCCI official that it would be extremely difficult for the board to host the AGM as Srinivasan was seeking re-election for a third term. Srinivasan has been removed as the BCCI president by the Supreme Court pending investigating in the spot-fixing and the betting scandal in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL). “As of Monday we haven’t sent any notice for the working committee meeting (which would actually call the AGM). But it seems it would extremely tough for us to host the AGM this month,” the official revealed. The BCCI elections are slated by the end of this month since Srinivasan, who has also been elected as the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman, was elected unopposed for a third year in office Sep 29 last year. As per the rotation policy of the BCCI, it is east zone’s term to nominate a candidate and Srinivasan reportedly is looking to get himself nominated by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). For the AGM and subsequent elections, the BCCI first will have to call a working committee meeting by giving a notice of seven days. The working committee will have to convene the AGM giving another notice of 14 days. The official said that BCCI doesn’t want to antagonise the Supreme Court by calling the AGM and get into more legal trouble. “We have to take every step cautiously. We will be taking legal advice and will also go through the court order carefully before taking a final call,” he said. Petitioner Aditya Verma said he was happy with court’s decision and said he will oppose BCCI’s move to postpone the AGM. “The BCCI plea had only one motive – to get Srinivasan back into the board by hook or crook and make him eligible for the post of president another three-year term in the next AGM later this month. What is going on in the BCCI is highly undemocratic. The BCCI has one-point programme – to look after the interest of one man and not the game. I am happy that the Honourable Court has not reinstated Srinivasan. The BCCI might try it again but we are going to oppose it,” said Verma.