Sandeep Sarkar, Kolkata: The first election to the governing body of Bengal cricket after the political reshuffle in the state. The date for election to the post of CAB Joint Secretary was announced. CAB organized a special general meeting at a luxury hotel in the city on Monday, July 20. Sunday, July 12, was the last day to submit nominations.

And the drama that day! Suddenly CAB members were informed that the joint secretary election is being postponed! CAB’s ruling camp has not submitted any candidate nomination for the post of joint secretary. No opposition groups have submitted nominations. But why was the election suddenly postponed?

As soon as I searched, I found out surprising information. According to reliable sources, District Magistrates have sent letters to CAB as heads of more or less 18 district sports organizations. Letters have also been received from several clubs in the CAB approved arena. The main point of all the letters is that it is confirmed whether the recommendations of the Lodha Committee appointed by the Supreme Court have been accepted or not in the case of those who will come as representatives from various affiliated clubs, universities or district organizations in the special general meeting.

In other words, not only office-bearers or committee members, but also nominated representatives who have voting rights should comply with the Lodha Law, the letter demanded. And that’s the sensation.

The total number of voters in the CAB elections is now 149. 28 of them are international cricketers. The remaining 121 are representatives of clubs, universities and district organizations. There is no question about international cricketers. Remaining 121 representatives under the glass floor. Complaints are being raised, many have submitted or are giving nominations to appear in special general meetings even after completing 9 years as CAB office-bearers, committee members or club-district representatives, showing thumbs up to the Lodha Act. It is also alleged that the upper age limit of 70 years is not accepted. How such ‘invalidated’ (disqualified in legal terms) candidates submit nominations to sit and exercise franchise has been strongly questioned. CAB has been forced to postpone the election after receiving one letter after another.

Talking to many who are intimately involved in every work of CAB, it is known that many come as representatives of various authorized units, who are supposed to be excluded in the Lodha Act. This is the question raised in the letters.

However, some in the know feel that the current CAB ruling group led by Saurabh Gangopadhyay is in the dark about the Lodha Act. Some claim that the Lodha Act applies only to office bearers or committee members. Not applicable to authorized agency representatives. Although the constitution of the CAB and the Lodha Act have been disputed by a large section, the same law applies in all cases.

It was learned that President Sourav has called an emergency general meeting (Emergent General Meeting) in CAB on Wednesday to explain the whole situation to the members. Sourav is supposed to explain to the members why the election has been postponed there. Can delegates who are over 70 or 9 years old be present in that meeting?

A part of CAB says that they can. On condition of anonymity, one also said, ‘First of all, the constitution of CAB and Indian Cricket Board is slightly different. Like former cricketers don’t have a vote on the board or universities don’t have a separate vote. There is nothing in the constitution of the CAB that the Lodha Act applies to representatives or voters. As far as I know office bearers or committee members only fall under it.’ He added, ‘If it is to be inserted in our constitution, with the majority of two-thirds of the members Supreme CourtCAB should go for amending the constitution.

However, a counter question arises. It is being said that if the Lodha Act’s ‘repeal’ representatives are present in the emergency general meeting, then it is a turn of the nose. The special general meeting and joint secretary elections were blocked, why is it not accepted in the emergency general meeting? There is also curiosity about whether it will create any new legal entanglement.

However, it has been revealed from the ruling camp that neither party has fielded any candidate for the post of joint secretary. That is why the election is not taking place. “Neither side may be ready,” said one, who did not wish to be named. So the election was delayed.’

Although there is a strong opposition. In the last few days, as some of Sourav’s trusted voting rights have been lost due to the decision to send others to the CAB instead of them as representatives, the way the district magistrates themselves have sent letters, has the new water started to be measured? That’s why extra caution in the election? The question is being floated, the Lodha Act is not new, it has been in effect for a long time. But in the last annual general meeting of CAB too, the representatives of the authorized bodies came regardless of that rule. Sourav returned as president at that annual general meeting. The question is, will the annual general meeting of last year come under the glass?

All in all, Benji’s haze at the administrative level of cricket has surrounded Bengal’s twenty-two yards.