BCCI polls in next 3 months: Vinod Rai
New Delhi, Aug 27 : Almost a week after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) registered its new constitution, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) said on Monday the board's polls will be held in three months.
"We are looking at elections in about 90 days and that's the deadline we have given ourselves. We have given the date as September 20. There is no cause for any ambiguity," CoA chief Vinod Rai told reporters here.
"The COA will leave, the moment the new body takes over. There is a specific mandate that has been given to the CoA; rest assured that we will not overstep it by a day," he added.
Defending each and every decision of the CoA, that also witnessed the ugly spat between skipper Virat Kohli and then coach Anil Kumble, resulting in the latter's unceremonious exit and the subsequent appointment of Ravi Shastri as the coach, Rai said: "It wasn't an unceremonious exit as his contract was only for a year. It had no renewal or extension clause."
"When the CoA took over, we got to know a month later that his contract was expiring and we followed the protocol that was followed during his appointment.
"The idea was to select the head coach by the CAC -- comprising of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman. Transparency requires you follow a process and the due process throws up a result."
"The CAC was the entrusted body and they did what they felt was best. We made no statements on Zaheer Khan or Rahul Dravid's appointments. Our job was to select the head coach through the due process," he clarified.
Dismissing talks of power being snatched from any office bearer in the board, Rai said: "The bank account of the BCCI shall be operated by two authorised signatories from out of a list of authorised signatories, designated by the Apex Council from among the professional management who are based out of the headquarters in Mumbai."
"We have no choice. It says professional management based in Mumbai. Even today, there is an acting secretary, an acting president and an honourary treasurer. No powers have been taken away from anybody," he added.
Rai also assured the state associations that all their problems of implementing the new constitution will be addressed once they adopted it.
"Let them first adopt the new Constitution and get the compliance. The practical problems that they have regarding qualification of selectors and all can then be addressed," he said.
Rai also cleared the air on Uttarakhand and Pondicherry's participation in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
"In the interest of cricketers of Uttarakhand, a consensus committee has been constituted. We have ensured that Uttarakhand will get to play in Ranji in the current year. Pondicherry will also be taken on board as an associate member and they will also play," he said.
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I need not indulge in any revolution, have confidence, hope: D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka for the CM post, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he is with "utmost patience", and he has no need to indulge in any kind of revolution, as he believes in himself and has hope.
Asserting that he is neither interested in any kind of blackmailing for selfishness, nor is he interested in causing any trouble for the Congress, Shivakumar, who is also its state unit chief, said, though a "street fighter", his fight is never within the party.
Amid claims that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was using state intelligence to keep a tab on Shivakumar's camp through phone tapping during the ongoing power tussle, he stated that he doesn't know about it, and pointed out that the CM and Home Minister G Parameshwara have made statements on the issue.
"To this day, I have not spoken about the CM issue at any point. On matters concerning us, it is between me, the CM and the party high command. I have only said that we are party to the decision that has happened, other than that I have never said anything else," Shivakumar said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Others have been saying the post will become vacant, Dalits should get the post, others should get it. It is others who want the CM post to become vacant, wanting it to be given to Dalits and others. I have never spoken about it. Only if the post is vacant can it be given to anyone else. I have never spoken about the post becoming vacant."
Noting that he is the Congress state president, Shivakumar said he is aware of that responsibility and has always tried to ensure that no harm is caused to the party because of him and that discipline is not violated.
"Being the president of the party, sitting in this chair, no one should point out to me that I have done injustice from this position, killing the party. I don't want anyone to pass such comments against me in the future. So, I'm with utmost patience, I know what is all happening, whether it is right or wrong. I'm aware of it," he said.
Highlighting that the Congress party was built, nurtured and sacrificed for by a number of workers and leaders, including him, he doesn't want lakhs of party workers to be troubled because of him.
"They (workers) have made us sit in power. Neither am I interested in indulging in any kind of blackmail for my selfishness, nor am I interested in causing any trouble for the party," he added.
Replying to a question about his hesitation to comment on the CM change issue and when it might happen, Shivakumar merely said, "Time will answer, and decide."
He, however, did not wish to respond to reports about party leadership, including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, top leader Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary K C Venugopal having held a discussion on the leadership issue in Karnataka. "I don't know. I haven't spoken or asked anyone," he added.
Shivakumar, who is hosting a dinner party for party legislators on March 10 to mark his six years as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, responded to a question about his continuation in the post by saying, "New blood should come, youngsters should come with fresh ideas."
"(Ministers) Parameshwara, H K Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and I became Ministers during our first term as MLAs. Our term is over, we are senior citizens, and new people should come....enough for me six years (as KPCC chief), others should also get an opportunity," he said.
Questioned whether he was speaking like a "Yogi," he said, "I'm a street fighter....I have come so far fighting; I know how to fight, but not for power. My fight is not within the party; I will fight outside the party. If anyone thinks I'm quiet, it is left to them."
Asked whether there will be some "Kranti" (revolution) after the budget, he said, "I need not do any Kranti. I have belief in myself, I have self-confidence. I always have hope.....I need not put in any effort; whatever has to come to me, it will come at the appropriate time. I have that confidence. I will meet you soon."
Responding to a question about Siddaramaiah's statement -- that if the BJP and JD(S) leaders have any "evil idea" to woo Shivakumar, it is their "daydream" -- the Deputy CM said, "He (the CM) said that out of his experience, he has seen me closely both when he was in another party and after joining Congress."
Asked whether there were any attempts by BJP and JD(S) to woo him, he said, "I will write a story about it some other time.....why speak about it now."
To a question, whether he accepts Siddaramaiah describing the bond between them as "milk and honey", Shivakumar said, "Of course. It was the same earlier, it is the same now, and it will be the same in 2028."
When pointed out that the bond between him and the CM doesn't seem to be cordial amid the ongoing power tussle, and after listening to some legislators supporting him, he said, "I want to request all the legislators, if they have any desire, that good things should happen to me, please keep quiet."
Accusing the opposition leaders of trying to "sour the relationship" between him and Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, earlier in the day, while rejecting phone tapping allegations, had asserted that such actions would not affect their relationship, which he described as being like "milk and honey."
