By PTI
JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday stayed the state cricket association election in which Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot was in the fray for the post of president.
A single judge bench of the high court presided by Justice Mahendra Goyal passed the order on a petition filed by District Cricket Associations (DCAs) of Dausa, Nagaur, Sriganganagar and Alwar.
The election of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) was scheduled to be held on Friday (September 30).
It was alleged in the writ petition that the election officer of the RCA, Ram Lubhaya, is a retired IAS officer who is not an “independent” person.
The counsel appearing for the DCAs argued that Lubhaya was in the active engagement of the state of Rajasthan and was working under the chief minister whose son Vaibhav Gehlot is not only outgoing president of RCA but is also contesting for the same post again.
It was alleged that in March this year, Lubhaya was appointed chairman of a high-powered committee for delimitation of the districts in Rajasthan for a period of six months and subsequently as an election officer on September 8 this month.
Later the state government extended his term in the committee up to 2023 only on September 13 to “influence” the elections of RCA.
The petition alleged that the election officer is not a “fair and independent” person, as contemplated by the Supreme Court while approving Justice (retd) Lodha Committee report in 2016 in the matter of BCCI.
It was argued by the RCA counsel that if mere father is the criteria to say that elections are being influenced then Jay Shah is secretary of BCCI and his father is Union home minister, thus it cannot be said that even BCCI is reeling under political pressure.
The court brushed aside the contentions of RCA and proceeded to stay the election scheduled to be held on Friday. The matter will now be heard on Friday which is the last working day before the break. The court will reopen on October 10.
JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday stayed the state cricket association election in which Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot was in the fray for the post of president.
A single judge bench of the high court presided by Justice Mahendra Goyal passed the order on a petition filed by District Cricket Associations (DCAs) of Dausa, Nagaur, Sriganganagar and Alwar.
The election of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) was scheduled to be held on Friday (September 30).
It was alleged in the writ petition that the election officer of the RCA, Ram Lubhaya, is a retired IAS officer who is not an “independent” person.
The counsel appearing for the DCAs argued that Lubhaya was in the active engagement of the state of Rajasthan and was working under the chief minister whose son Vaibhav Gehlot is not only outgoing president of RCA but is also contesting for the same post again.
It was alleged that in March this year, Lubhaya was appointed chairman of a high-powered committee for delimitation of the districts in Rajasthan for a period of six months and subsequently as an election officer on September 8 this month.
Later the state government extended his term in the committee up to 2023 only on September 13 to “influence” the elections of RCA.
The petition alleged that the election officer is not a “fair and independent” person, as contemplated by the Supreme Court while approving Justice (retd) Lodha Committee report in 2016 in the matter of BCCI.
It was argued by the RCA counsel that if mere father is the criteria to say that elections are being influenced then Jay Shah is secretary of BCCI and his father is Union home minister, thus it cannot be said that even BCCI is reeling under political pressure.
The court brushed aside the contentions of RCA and proceeded to stay the election scheduled to be held on Friday. The matter will now be heard on Friday which is the last working day before the break. The court will reopen on October 10.
