AITA Members Call EC Meet After President Seeks Court To Void Election Results

News18

5 hours ago

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AITA president Anil Jain asked the Delhi High Court to nullify the September 2024 federation elections, prompting irate Executive Committee members to call a meeting on June 27.
All India Tennis Association (AITA)
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) president, Anil Jain, who faced a no-confidence motion by state associations last year, has requested the Delhi High Court to declare the federation elections held in September 2024 null and void.
This has led to irate Executive Committee members calling for a meeting on June 27. One of the affiliated units of the AITA alleged that Jain had used his position for personal gains.
The no-confidence motion was withdrawn before the AGM that elected a new body. However, the election results remained sealed in court due to a petition by Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja challenging the validity of the polls, leaving the newly-elected office bearers outside the system.
In response to the same petition, Jain, in his prayer filed on May 26, requested the court to declare the AITA elections null and void but urged it not to appoint a Committee of Administrators (CoA), citing potential objections and adverse reactions from the ITF (world governing body) and the ATF (Asian body), which would hinder AITA's functioning.
Jain's prayer stated that the constitution could be amended, and AITA's efficient functioning could be ensured under the court's supervision by the present management. However, the EC members claimed that Jain did not consult them before filing the reply on behalf of the Federation.
'Such a reply needed EC concurrence. He can't just go and file it in court like this. EC has to pass a resolution first. He is trying to disqualify all other members," Hironmoy Chatterjee, who issued the EC meeting notice, told PTI.
'As of today, unauthorized people are running the organisation," Chatterjee added. Jain told PTI that he did not need to consult anyone.
'I am still President of AITA. They did not consult me when they filed a writ against the Secretary General. They have a vested interest. I did not agree with the election process, so I did not file my nomination. They did not follow the tenure guidelines of the Sports Code," Jain said.
'AITA should comply with the Sports Code. It is fair. The EC meeting they have called is also illegal. The Secretary General has not called it, and I have not been consulted about it," he said.
'They had brought that no-confidence motion against me on filthy and baseless grounds."
The AITA constitution states that the Secretary General can convene meetings of the Central Council and Executive Committee with the president's consent.
Chatterjee, who is also president of the Bengal Tennis Association (BTA), explained that the constitution also empowers EC members to call a meeting if the Secretary General does not do so within a month of receiving a written requisition from three members.
'We can call an EC meeting. Clause 8 (d) (iii) of AITA Rules and Regulations empowers us to do that," Chatterjee, who is also AITA vice president (Sports), said.
When Secretary General Anil Dhupar was approached, he admitted that such a rule empowers members to call for a meeting, but it should be under 'normal circumstances".
'As of today, the matter is sub-judice, so I told them it is advisable to take the court's direction before calling an EC meeting," Dhupar told PTI. The EC meeting notice, issued on June 16, clarified that it would discuss the role of the Secretary General as per the AITA Constitution.
Dhupar has attained the age of 70, and the Sports Code does not allow office bearers to remain in office beyond that.
'Recently, the BCCI appointed an interim president after Roger Binny attained the age of 70. So Mr Dhupar should also quit," said another EC member.