East wants Amitabh Chaudhary for president

Chennai: With the passing away of ace cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI hasn’t been able to find a consensus candidate to replace him at the helm with East Zone units deciding to propose a candidate of their own. While the names of veterans Sharad Pawar and Rajeev Shukla are doing the rounds, Jharkhand’s Amitabh Chaudhary, joint secretary of the Board, is likely to spoil the duo’s plans as a bona fide East representative.

The likes of Pawar and Shukla may not find it easy to get backers from the East which has six votes comprising Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tripura and National Cricket Club (NCC). As of now, a contest looks likely as Shukla and Pawar appear keen to throw their hat into the ring.

As for Pawar, the former ICC and BCCI supremo is testing waters currently and would only offer his candidature if he is sure of at least 16 votes for which he would need the support of the government. In any case, a veteran of electoral politics, Pawar is known to take decisions after long and hard deliberation.

It is learnt that former BCCI president N. Srinivasan, whose participation in Board meetings is still unclear, will have a big role as he controls as many as 10 votes in a total of 30 which is about one third. Chaudhary is known to be a Srinivasan loyalist just like treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary of Haryana. In East Zone, Srinivasan enjoys clout in the units of Assam, Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.

For Shukla, who is known to be friends with everyone cutting across party lines, it will also be a big ask to get a proposer from the East. He may still manage to pull through if he can convince East Zone units not to field a candidate and back him as a consensus choice.

Meanwhile, the upcoming special general body meeting of the BCCI may also be deferred from proposed 15 day schedule till the BCCI gets clarity on Srinivasan’s participation.

Officials from East Zone had an informal discussion in the last two days and they have come to a conclusion that till 2017, the president should be someone from their own zone.

“The East Zone states want that somebody from the zone becomes the president. At this point of time, Amitabh Chaudhary fits the bill perfectly,” a top BCCI official from East Zone was quoted as saying by PTI.

“He had been an IPS officer, has managed Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA), has attended AGM and is an office-bearer. At least, four East Zone units will back Chaudhary’s candidature. Our contention is till 2017 a East Zone representative should head the BCCI. One can’t rule out the possibility of an election it doesn’t happen. You can be rest assured if Pawar fights, CAB and NCC (kind of Dalmiya’s family club) won’t vote for him,” the senior official added.