CoA members will demit on October 23 evening after AGM, says Vinod Rai

The much-awaited BCCI elections have been rescheduled and postponed by a day, and will now take place on October 23 in the wake of legislative assembly elections in the state of Maharashtra and Haryana. Both the states will be voting on October 21 in a single-phase election and to ensure that voter members from the two units are not inconvenienced, the Cricket Board poll has been postponed by a day, the Committee of Administrators said in a statement.

The CoA has also extended the date of completion of elections for the member state associations to October 4. However, that irked several board members that Rai wants the elections deferred by two weeks, for reasons unknown. But Rai strongly disagrees with that, while adding that the day BCCI conducts its Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be the COA's last day in office.

"It is not correct that the COA asked for deferment of elections. It has only been rescheduled by one day because of the state elections in Haryana and Maharashtra. The elections will certainly be held on October 23 and that date is final," Rai told the Times of India.

"The amicus has been very involved in the whole process. The COA drafted both the recent advisories in consultation with him. I have to say he has been extremely helpful in carrying out the reforms. The COA did not ask the Amicus for any deferment of elections," he added.

In the wake of Supreme Court advisory on September 20, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Mumbai Cricket Association are trying to find the loopholes to send N Srinivasan from the TNCA or Sharad Pawar from Mumbai to attend the BCCI AGM. But Rai, in no uncertain words, made it clear that the board will have not more than nine members in the apex council and the state associations cannot have more than 19 members. 

"The Supreme Court heard our legal counsel, the TNCA counsel and the amicus on Tuesday. Based on that hearing, COA sent out the advisory. It says: It is the respectful understanding of the COA that the said direction relaxes the disqualification in Rule 6(5) (f) and Rule 14 (3)(f) of the BCCI Constitution and the pari materia provisions in the constitutions of the member State Associations. All other disqualifications remain in full force viz. those contained in Rule 6(5) (a) to (e) and (g) and Rule 14 (3)(a) to (e) and (g)."

"No. They cannot attend. That is why I am saying the August 9, 2018 order is the final one that prevails and going by that order, disqualification rules are very clear under Rule 6(5) and Rule 14(3)," says Rai.