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| Lodha panel sets stage for showdown between Ansari, Mehboob Iqbal | | |
Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Oct 20: With Supreme Court (SC) refusing to grant any relief to Board of Cricket Control for India (BCCI), stage is set for showdown between disputed president of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) Imran Raza Ansari and disputed Chairman Mehboob Iqbal.
What makes this tug of war interesting is the political connection between J&K's Minister for Sports Imran Raza Ansari and PDP General Secretary Mehboob Iqbal. Both are from the same political party and Mehboob in the past supported Imran to ensure NC Patron and ex-Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah is ousted from JKCA. Though Farooq still claims that he is President of JKCA but BCCI under Anurag Thakur has accepted alleged illegal appointment of Imran and Mehboob Iqbal.
Sources said that when JKCA Chairman Mehboob Iqbal learnt came to know about the Lodha committee recommendations, he alongwith his friends in JKCA decided to approach ex-Member Parliament (MP) Tariq Hameed Qarra who was then in PDP. Since they anticipated Supreme Court (SC) cracking whip and forcing BCCI to implement its recommendations, they knew that Imran will have no option but to gracefully step down.
Imran already faces contempt since his election has been declared null and void by a Supreme Court and JKCA has to hold fresh elections by or before November 15 for electing a new body in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations of the Lodha panel. The panel has snatched voting rights from the government controlled bodies and made cricket club owners, the sole powerful voices in the matters of cricket. This has drastically reduced the power of the government to arm-twist JKCA and put its favourites on JKCA board.
Lodha panel has strictly said that ministers or government employees holding important positions should be kept out of the cricket associations. In the wake of these developments, sources said that Mehboob Iqbal without taking Imran into confidence approached Qarra, requesting him to contest the elections for being elected President of JKCA. It is not known whether Qarra agreed or not but sources said that Imran Raza Ansari got to know about these developments and was disappointed at Mehboob trying to find his successor.
What made the situation difficult for Mehboob Iqbal was Qarra's abrupt resignation from both the Parliament and membership of PDP, sources said. This changed the entire scenario. Mehboob Iqbal is now left with no option but find someone else who has votes of clubs on his side and stand alongwith him so that if fresh elections are held, he stays as Chairman of JKCA and is not ousted which would be both disappointing as well as humiliating for him, said a source.
It is because of this tug of war with Imran which compelled Mehboob to say that JKCA elections have been declared null and void by Supreme Court and no meeting should be held till elections are held afresh and a new team is in place. He had said that as per the Supreme Court ruling and now BCCI direction to all State units our recently held election is null and void. "The election would now be held under Lodha Committee and in that no institute, college; University or Government department would be entitled to vote," Mehboob had said.
This was to make Imran understand that he was unlikely to get re-elected once the Lodha committee recommendations are accepted, said the sources while adding that Mehboob now agrees that the JKCA elections should be held without any further delay since any further delay could invite wrath of Supreme Court (SC). They further said that Mehboob now even says that it was wrong to conduct election after Court accepted the recommendations.
It needs to be mentioned here that the recommendations of committee will mean total overhaul of JKCA with 14 government votes losing their power of votes. They can be associate members but without any voting right. With these developments, it is to be seen which way the JKCA elections go and how the tug of war between two PDP leaders comes to an end. If sources are to be believed, Imran is also planning to have his man in JKCA as president.
"It is prestige issue for both," agreed an ex-cricketer who is close to both Ansari and Mehboob. He said that it is highly likely that ex-Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah might make a return to the JKCA if the Lodha committee recommendations are accepted in toto. "He is neither holding any government nor a significant political position. He has wider acceptability among JKCA members. Let us now see whether he makes a comeback or not," said an ex-Cricketer. |
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