The ambition of BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and Secretary Jay Shah have been given a boost by the Supreme Court, which has agreed to allow the amendments in the cooling-off restrictions for BCCI and state officials. This will allow Ganguly and Shah to stand in the upcoming BCCI elections, which wouldn’t have been possible under the previous rules.
The SC order is an amendment to the BCCI constitution – from a mandatory three-year cooling off period after a combination of two-terms (three years each) at the state and/or BCCI to cooling-off requirement only after two consecutive terms at that one level.
Ganguly had first been the CAB president before taking up the top role at BCCI. Under the previous rules, he would now have to take a 3-year cooling off time. But, with this new order from the Supreme Court itself, Ganguly is eligible to stand in the elections again for another term, until 2025.
Same goes for other office bearers. In October 2019 Ganguly was elected as BCCI president and Shah, who is the son of India Home Minister Amit Shah, as Secretary. Arun Dhumal, brother of former BCCI president Anurag Thakur, who is also the Indian Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, was elected as BCCI treasurer while Jayesh George as joint secretary.
Cricbuzz has reported that although Shah has all the backing, Ganguly continuing in his role “is subject to having the backing of the state units, with an element of uncertainty looming over his second term”.
Sourav Ganguly’s BCCI president tenure has been controversial
A two-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli passed orders on Wednesday – the formal judgement is yet to be made public – changing its 2018 judgement.
This new judgement now allows an individual to hold a BCCI/State position cumulatively for 12 years – six years at each at BCCI and State level – without a break. From the rule in the 2016 order, an official had to take the cooling off 3-year period after every term – of three years – at any level.
In 2018, the BCCI had adopted a new constitution, that an office bearer who has held any post for two consecutive terms (six years) either at a state association or in the BCCI, or a combination of both, shall not be eligible to contest any further election without completing a cooling-off period of three years. In 2019, the BCCI administration approached the court seeking amendments to the board’s constitution, which has now been approved, making Ganguly and Jay Shah eligible to have another 3-year term.
