BCCI rule change could brighten Jaitley’s chances says Dalmiya

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya on Friday said in clear terms for the first time that Arun Jaitley’s path would be cleared to become the next BCCI president if the concerned constitution amendment is passed on September 15.

It is well known that Dalmiya and Jaitley are extremely close, and the latter played a prominent role in the CAB chief and the N Srinivasan- Shashank Manohar group patching up some time ago.

According to the present rules, the BCCI president shall be elected on the principle of zonal rotation amongst its five zones. It will be the east zone’s turn to nominate a person in 2013 — a year before the three- year term of the incumbent, Srinivasan, expires — to be chosen president- elect for one year.

According to this proposed amendment, to be taken up at a special general body meeting in Chennai, if two full member associations of the zone whose turn it is to nominate the presidential candidate approve a person from any other zone, he can become BCCI president. One of the conditions is that the candidate should have attended two AGMs, and here Jaitley qualifies easily.

A three-fourth majority of the members present and entitled to vote is required to amend rules.

“What they are going to do is to revert to the earlier system. It would be no more zonal rotation. It would make Jaitley’s chances much better,” Dalmiya told Mail Today. “The last time it [constitution] was changed was in 1986.” Interestingly, Dalmiya, 72, also said that now the president could remain in the seat for more than the current stipulation of three years. “After the amendment, the person can remain president for three or five or ten years,” he said. Asked specially if that was going to be so, he said: “Why not? It all depends what your approach is.” When pointed out that it would be the east zone’s turn to have the presidential candidate, Dalmiya said: “ East zone mein kya hai (what is there in east zone)?” BCCI’s Rule and Regulations 15 ( iii) for ‘ election of office- bearers and vice- presidents’ says that the president shall be elected on the principle of zonal rotation.

“The zonal term will be for a period of three years. The zonal rotation would be: (1) West Zone; (2) Central Zone; (3) South Zone; (4) East Zone; and (5) North Zone,” it says.

A senior BCCI official justified the need to amend the constitution. “Times have changed and things have become complex.

The government is hostile towards the BCCI regarding the IPL and other issues,” he said. “The BCCI has been put in so many legal tangles, and Jaitley is one of the best legal minds to tackle them.”