Cricketing activities will not be affected in non-compliant states, says COA chief Vinod Rai

Tamil Nadu and Haryana are in danger of being ruled ineligible to vote at the BCCI elections slated for October 22, but their cricketing activities will not be affected after the elections, Committee of Administrators (COA) chief Vinod Rai said on Monday.

The Supreme Court-appointed COA, which last week moved forward the deadline of holding state elections by two weeks to September 28, had issued an ultimatum to state bodies to put their house in order by September 12.

Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh came on board in the 11th hour and decided to comply with the COA's directive on constitutional amendments. Besides Tamil Nadu and Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are included in the 4 out of 38 states that remain non-compliant remain non-compliant. The state elections will be followed by the BCCI elections on the 22nd of October.

"It is up to them (if they don't want to be part of the BCCI AGM). The deadline is already over. We are going ahead with the elections on September 28 and October 22. Whichever association has not complied, we will ensure their cricketing activities are not affected," said Rai after the COA meeting to PTI.

BCCI will most likely form an ad-hoc body to run the cricketing affairs in the states of Tamil Nadu and Haryana if they end up losing their voting rights.

The constitutional amendments are with regard to administrative reforms recommended by the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee. Tamil Nadu has already took to court, saying BCCI elections cannot be held unless the bar has heard its plea.

Asked if the BCCI election process can be delayed with state units approaching the court, Rai informed: "Once the election process begins, the court doesn't intervene. Elections will be held on time, there is no doubt about that."