IOA elections: Six-member committee formed, polls delayed?

IOA elections: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was held on Sunday at the IOA Bhawan, New Delhi and it was decided that a six-member committee will be formed which will look into amendments to the IOA constitution to bring it in line with the National Sports Code. Only after that can the election process resume. Follow all live updates on InsideSport.IN

Also read: IOA Elections: IOC writes to Narinder Batra, IOA to hold AGM on Dec 19, complete elections by January – Check details

The six-member committee will include IOA president Narinder Batra, secretary general Rajeev Mehta, treasurer Anandeshwar Pandey, senior vice presidents Anil Khanna, RK Anand and Lalit Bhanot, who is a member of the committee that finalises India’s contingent to multi-sports events.

IOA elections: Six-member Committee formed to look into amendments to constitution, elections to get delayed further?

The AGM meet was presided over by Justice (retd.) Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, who was appointed by the Delhi High Court as administrator for the purpose. He was assisted by former sports secretary Injeti Srinivas.

“The General House decided to form a six-member committee to look at what amendments need to be made in the IOA constitution before the elections are held,” IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta was quoted as saying.

“The committee will deliberate and proposed which amendments are to be made. They will be vetted through Injeti Srinivas and submitted to the Delhi High Court,” Mehta added.

IOA elections: Six-member Committee formed to look into amendments to constitution, elections to get delayed further?

Earlier, the IOA AGM was supposed to be held in Guwahati but on Friday, the Delhi High Court directed the body to shift the AGM to New Delhi. A special bench comprising justices Manmohan and Najmi Waziri had also instructed the IOA to videograph the whole AGM proceedings and report to it on the next hearing on Thursday.

The court order had directed the IOA to “deliberate and vote amendments to the constitution/articles of association of the IOA, as may be agreed and/or requisite in terms of the National Sports Code, the IOC Charter and orders of this court and the Supreme Court.”

The Delhi HC had also directed the IOA to consider 13 amendments submitted by the petitioner Rahul Mehra, including the restrictive provision which requires the candidates for president and secretary general’s post to have held the same office earlier or be elected members in any of the five preceding executive councils.

IOA elections: Six-member Committee formed to look into amendments to constitution, elections to get delayed further?

According to Mehra, the IOA was proposing to hold its elections in violation of the orders of the court, the law of the land, the National Sports Development Code of India, and various other directives.

Mehra had sought directions to refrain the Centre from acting arbitrarily or indulging in action in abject violation and desertion of its duties.

IOA elections: Six-member Committee formed to look into amendments to constitution, elections to get delayed further?

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