Roger Binny frontrunner as KSCA set to elect new office bearers after three years
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections are set to take place on Thursday, ending three years of uncertainty. The 1628 life members and the 348 institutional members of the association will elect a new set of office-bearers and Managing Committee members for the next three years.
The electoral officer, M.R. Hegde, has decided to continue with the use of ballot paper for the polling session from 11 am to 7 pm on Thursday. After three years of petitions, hearings, and general uncertainty, the KSCA elections are finally about to take place, and two groups are vying for the top spots.
On one side, is the group led by presidential candidate Roger Binny and Co, backed by former secretary Brijesh Patel. Santosh Menon, the outgoing assistant secretary, will stand for the secretary’s post, while Vinay Mruthyunjaya contends for treasurer. Former Karnataka batsman J. Abhiram will run for vice-president and the retired international umpire Shavir Tarapore for joint secretary. Meanwhile, Shantha Rangaswamy — who recently resigned from the Cricket Advisory Committee for the BCCI - is contesting to be a member of the managing committee as part of Binny’s team.
Although the World Cup-winner is a strong favourite, there is an opposition coming from Swatch Cricket, a group that is campaigning for change in the KSCA. MM Harish is its candidate for president, although it remains to be seen how much of an impact his team can make. It is to be noted that the KSCA had issued a notice calling for elections way back in July 2016, but the Supreme Court intervened and put the polls on hold for the implementations of the Lodha committee recommendations.
"It's been a little turbulent, no doubt. We were always apprehensive about what would happen. But we knew somewhere down the line that it was all a passing phase. In a way, it's a kind of relief. Ultimately, it's good for the BCCI and the state associations to all be governed by elected office-bearers," Menon was quoted saying by Sportstar.
“It was all left to interpretations. We're not saying that Lodha said wrong or meant wrong. What happened was that his perception was probably different from others’ perception. No doubt a few of his suggestions are good for the game. But there were so many impracticalities,” Menon said.
After numerous petitions from many state associations, several hearings in the Supreme Court, the election process is finally coming to a conclusion as many of the confusions have been resolved.
"It's good that the Amicus Curiae intervened and he understood the delicate problems the associations and the BCCI were facing. Not all issues have been resolved, but we had to draw the line somewhere,” Menon added.