Only Member Association Representatives To Cast Vote in AIFF Elections

Only the representatives from the member associations will be given voting rights for the AIFF elections.

Only representatives from state and UT member associates will be able to vote in AIFF elections.

(File Photo: IANS)

After the termination of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), as demanded by the international football federation (FIFA), the returning officer on Wednesday issued a notice for the elections to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Executive Committee, giving the voting rights only to the representatives of the member associations representing the States/Union Territories.

On Wednesday, the returning officer said in a statement that the voters' list for the ensuing elections shall consist exclusively of representative of the member associations representing the States/Union Territories.

The Supreme Court had on Monday said that the Executive Council (EC) of the AIFF shall consist of 23 persons - 17 members (including the president, treasurer and vice-president) to be elected by the electoral college consisting of 35 associations representing states/union territories, and six members shall be drawn from eminent players - comprising four men and two women.

After the SC order, the returning officer Umesh Sharma stated that the election will be held on 2 September at the AIFF headquarter in Delhi and the results could be announced either on that day itself, or the next day.

The nominations for the posts can be filed between 25-27 August while the scrutiny will be done on 28 August, the returning officer said.

The candidates will have a chance to withdraw the nomination on August 29 while the returning officer shall prepare the final list of contesting candidates and put it on the AIFF website on 30 August.

The Supreme Court on Monday terminated the mandate of the CoA to manage the affairs of the AIFF and also postponed the election, earlier scheduled on 28 August, by one week.

The top court had said it is modifying its previous orders to facilitate the revocation of the suspension which has been imposed on the AIFF by FIFA and the holding of the Under-17 Women's World Cup 2022 in India.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna said: "The day-to-day management of the AIFF shall be exclusively looked after by the AIFF administration led by the Acting Secretary General. The mandate of the Committee of Administrators appointed by the order of this court stands terminated."

The top court, in its order, said: "Time for the completion of the elections which were scheduled to take place on August 28, 2022 shall stand extended by a period of one week. The Returning Officers shall, within the said period, refix the modalities for the filing of nominations from the stage which was reached on August 13, 2022 and ensure that the elections are completed on schedule."

It said returning officers (ROs), Umesh Sinha and Tapas Bhattacharya, shall be deemed to be the ROs appointed by it for the purpose of conducting the elections, noting that there was no objection to their continuance by any of the contesting parties before it.