Kolkata: Jagmohan Dalmiya on Thursday tightened his grip on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) by getting re-elected unopposed and ensuring the victory of his man S K Nair as BCCI secretary.
With his detractors failing to put up a candidate for the president's post, 60-year- old Dalmiya's re-election was a foregone conclusion. All attention was focussed on the duel for the secretary's post at the 73rd annual general meeting of the Board at a hotel here. Dalmiya's nominee and BCCI finance committee chief Nair ousted the incumbent Niranjan Shah 18-12 in the elections with one vote out of the 31 polled being cancelled. In the last AGM of the Board in Chennai, Dalmiya's nominee and the then secretary J Y Lele had lost to Shah, the candidate fielded by A C Muthaiah camp, by 15-16 votes. Muthaiah had cast the decisive vote for Shah. Soon after the elections, Dalmiya told waiting reporters that he was happy at the faith reposed in him by Board members. "I shall work to the best of my ability to serve the interest of the Board and that of Indian cricket," a beaming Dalmiya said. The BCCI chief said that the elections were an integral part of Democracy. "But it has been a time tested tradition of the Board that once elections are over, we always work together for the cause of cricket." Describing Shah as a 'good worker', Dalmiya said "in Democracy sometimes elections become inevitable". Sixty-five-year old Nair, a former BCCI treasurer, said he was looking forward to working with Dalmiya in solving the challenges before the Board. "This is an opportunity as well as a challenge for me to work hard." However, he refused to answer questions on the players' contract and the logo controversy saying he needed time to understand the issues. "I have just been elected. Give me some time to get settled and understand the issue," he said. On persistent queries about the sponsorship issue, he said "the issues are being taken up at appropriate level. The Board has a very effective administrative set-up." When pointed out that he had won a crucial election, Nair said "every election is crucial. I hope I can prove myself". Dalmiya's nominees were elected unopposed to the other posts also. While Kishore Rungta was re-elected treasurer, former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Mohanta, Ranvir Singh, Ranga Reddy, Narhari Amin and Kamal Morarka were unanimously elected as vice-presidents for the five regions. Jyoti Bajpai was elected unopposed as joint secretary. Dalmiya's aides, who expected Nair to get over 20 votes felt that some voters rooted for Shah on personal equations. "He (Shah) has worked hard. He has good personal relations with everyone. Naturally some voters, whom we expected to vote for Nair, voted for him," sources in the Dalmiya camp said. Accepting the defeat gracefully, Shah said the election only showed that BCCI was run on Democratic lines. "Winning and losing are part of the game. My best wishes to Nair." Extras:
Dalmiya most imcompetent BCCI chief: Dungarpur
Tags: cricket, jagmohan dalmiya, tightened grip, board of control, india, bcci, re-elected unopposed, ensuring victory, secretary, detractors failing, candidate, attention, focussed on duel, annual general meeting, nominee, finance committee chief, a c muthaiah camp, integral part, democracy, treasurer, players' contract, logo controversy, sponsorship issue, appropriate level, effective administrative set-up, former assam chief minister prafulla mohanta, unanimously elected as vice-presidents, joint secretary, personal equations.
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