Battle moves to social media, but should SWC elections be delayed

There is a war brewing at the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). The two warring parties are the Mr Vinod Tihara-Sunil Dev-Sneh Bansal trio against the Delhi Cricket Council, who has Mr CK Khanna, Mr Chetan Chauhan and Mr Ravindra Manchanda by their side. Just think over it. The clubs have not received subsidies, umpires haven’t been paid despite an amount of close to 7 crore is lying in a bank account that has been frozen due to the internal politics after a signatory, Mr Dev, refused to sign. An amount of 10 crore rupees is still with the BCCI as the DDCA hasn’t managed to prepare a balance sheet and submit to the apex body.

The DDCA is on the verge of crisis once again. And it has become a laughing stock again. The war has now extended to social media whatsapp with both parties inundating their followers with messages.

The Tihara group’s lawyer sent out a message saying, “The parental organization is always powerful and will remain so. It delight it's power to make it more functional. It's democratic and followed in progressive society globally. But conflict of interest always lead to bad blood as in the case of DDCA Executive Committee and democratically elected SWC. It has tried it's best, to fulfil it's electoral promises without much required support from The DDCA's Executive Committee. And after exhausting all possible channels, it's Convener was forced to write a letter dated 16 June 2015 to the Hony. Gen. Sect. DDCA and forwarded it's copies to all concerned with BCCI, officials of DDCA, Secretaries of all affiliated clubs of DDCA.”

Then Vinod Tihara sent out a message saying, “If the DDCA Executive Committee cannot release funds for Annual Cricket League, Club subsidies to its Affiliated Clubs pending since last 3 years, I on behalf of the SWC demand that EC members public ally feel sorry about it and tender apology and resign or else the SWC will not allow them to function. Even otherwise 18 Executive Directors are illegally holding on to their office despite their term being over on 30.09.14. I have ensure through the court case Vinod Tihara Vs DDCA that the "fraud" is exposed before the world.”

The Delhi Cricket Council sent its message on whatsapp, “We agree you are fighting with your funds looted by you this year and for the last 10 years. By siding with Bansal and Sunil Dev you have shown that you also belong to that corrupt group .You are right 87 secry's are dead against you and don't even want to see your dirty face in Ddca. The mere mention of SWC (Sports Working Committee) elections through a resolution by the executive committee sent shivers through your body and you ran towards your equally corrupt lawyer to stall the elections. But you were surprised when you came to know that the elections would be held on time. All your dirty efforts went in vain and you have nothing left in you. You are a spent force who have done nothing for clubs and secry's. The previous committee did so many good things that it's difficult to describe it in words. Never in the history of Ddca has any committee done such good work for the benefit of clubs. You be busy with bansal and court cases, this suits you. Your lawyer is a happy man-More to come -don't run away-kehte hain Picture abhi baki hai.”

In this battle, the patience of the people concerned with cricket is running thin. On June 19, the court had said, “this court deems it appropriate that the ‘resolution by circulation dated 13.06.15” be not acted upon till next date of hearing. It is clarified that the DDCA shall not fix any date for holding of elections of SWC till next date of hearing”.

The next date of hearing is June 29 and the Delhi Cricket Council is confident that the court’s decision will not stall the elections. Mr CK Khanna had already told delhicricketnews.blogspot.com that this is a desperate measure to delay the inevitable. Mr Tihara has alleged in his note to court that his opponents got a backdated letter mentioning the appointment of election officers.

Mr Tihara has also said that he has the support of majority of the clubs and they are with him.

Let us analyse the entire matter from the point of view of a cricket lover. Why shouldn’t there be an election? Why should it be stalled now? Shall we carry on with the status quo and witness Delhi’s cricket in the courtroom?

Or should there be a proactive measure where parties should sit and talk and deliberate over the matter.

Everyone knows that corruption runs deep in DDCA and the internal bickering are hurting the game and its connoisseurs.

It won’t be wrong to say that the latest case is another way of hurting the cricket, knowingly or unknowingly, rightly or wrongly.

In one of the responses to an earlier report that delhicricketnews.blogspot.com got from the Mr Tihara’s lawyer, Mr Gautam Dutta, it was mentioned that the elections can’t be held in July as was reported by us. Now Mr Tihara’s contention in the court case filed by him is that the elections shouldn’t be held before August 4, 2015, the date the present committee’s term expires and it completes its tenure.

However, the Delhi Cricket Council points out that for any election, it has to take place before the term expires so that the new body can take over immediately after the day the previous term ends. It makes sense.

In any and every election, including the national general elections, such a thing happens. The elections are held and while the results are declared, the outgoing official/body or even Prime Minister serves till the time the new one takes over. So this premise that the elections can be held only after the tenure ends seems flawed and can hurt cricket even further.

What decision the court takes on June 29 remains to be seen. However, it will be interesting to see whether Delhi’s cricket remains hung in suspended animation or the elections are held early to decide the future course of action.