BFI postpones elections, say impossible to complete process within original time-lines

Boxing Federation of India on Wednesday postponed its election scheduled for March 28, saying it’s “impossible to complete the process within originally planned timelines” after the Delhi and Himachal Pradesh High Courts directed the body to reinstate the names omitted from the electoral college. Returning Officer has observed that in light of the court orders and the resulting mandated additions to the electoral college list, it is practically impossible to continue and complete the election process within the originally planned timelines as per the Model Election Code,” the notification stated. In his order, Mr. Gauba noted that the two court orders “necessitates certain steps to be taken by BFI under the R&Rs and the Model Election Code.” “Having regard to the fact that the Model Election Code prescribes the time-lines for the election process, it is rendered practically impossible, with above mandated additions to the Electoral College List, for the electoral process to be continued and completed under the extant Schedule.” Both the Delhi and Himachal Pradesh High courts had stayed the March 7 order issued by BFI President Ajay Singh that rendered all those who are not elected members of their state associations ineligible to be members of the electoral college. The BFI flung into action only after the Indian Olympic Association appointed an ad-hoc committee, a move the national federation challenged in the Delhi High Court, which subsequently put a stay on the ad-hoc panel.