Guns, guts, cuts at HCA polls

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cricket Association elections took another turn on their eve on Monday when the house motions moved by three of the ‘contestants’ evoked mixed responses by vacation judges of the Hyderabad High Court, who refused to stay the polls.

Justice U. Durga Prasad Rao was hearing two petitions by Vanka Prathap and Naresh Sharma moved as house motions in connection with the ongoing election process.

Prathap challenged the action of Returning Officer K. Rajeev Reddy in rejecting his nomination for the post of joint secretary (on grounds that he had filed nominations for multiple posts) while Naresh Sharma moved a writ of prohibition seeking to stay of the election contending that the RO failed to follow electoral procedure.

While refusing to stay the election, the Judge directed the Returning Officer to allow Prathap to contest for the post of joint secretary. It may be recalled that a single Judge had earlier directed the RO to go ahead with election process, but not to declare the results.

While admitting the petitions, Justice Durga Prasad Rao directed the returning officer not to declare the results. Meanwhile, Justice Challa Kodandaram rejected Mohammad Azharuddin the permission to move a house motion challenging the election process on grounds of failure in adopting procedure.

The elections will go on but will be discussed threadbare in the High Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter after Sankranti vacation, on Wednesday. The HCA has alleged discrepancies in electoral procedure via a Civil Revision Petition against the order of the District Court appointing an Advocate Commissioner for conduct of polls to the State cricket body.

On election eve, there was heavy police presence at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium where the 200 plus club secretaries were given their identity cards to participate in Tuesday’s elections to be held between 10 am and 2 pm.