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However, the state of Maharashtra<\/a> will not be participating in the poll process. The Returning Officer, Justice MM Kumar, declared both rival factions in Maharashtra as ineligible for participation. Despite efforts, the polls couldn’t proceed on July 11 due to a stay order by the Gauhati High Court, following the Assam Wrestling Association’s request to participate in the election process.
Earlier, the elections were scheduled for July 6 but were rescheduled to July 11 after disaffiliated state bodies from Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh raised objections and sought a hearing.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court intervened and cleared the way for the elections to be held on August 12, with an electoral college comprising 48 members representing 24 state bodies, holding voting rights.
Nominations for posts will be filed on August 1, and the scrutiny of nominations will take place on August 7, leading to the final list of candidates.
The elections faced delays due to controversies and sexual harassment allegations against the national body president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh<\/a>.
The sports ministry ordered the suspension of all WFI activities and appointed an oversight committee to investigate the allegations. Brij Bhushan, having served 12 years as president, is ineligible to contest elections as per the Sports Code guidelines.
One intriguing aspect is whether Brij Bhushan’s son, Karan, who is heading the UP Wrestling Association, will contest the elections.
The upcoming WFI elections are closely watched in the wrestling community, and the results could potentially bring about changes and reforms in the federation.
MATTER RELATED TO DISAFFILIATED UNITS SETTLED<\/span>
In a major victory for the previous WFI set up, four of the five disputes were settled in their favour.
Justice MM Kumar declared that the two rival factions from Maharashtra, led by NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar and Ramdas Tadas, were ineligible to nominate any of their members to constitute the electoral college.
In the case of Haryana, the faction that has Rohtash Singh and Rakesh Singh as President and Secretary respectively, were included in the electoral college. This faction is a Brij Bhushan loyalist.
The claim of the faction, led by Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda, was rejected.
Hamza-bin Omer and K Narsing Rao, the faction that had the blessings of previous WFI set up, were added to electoral college from the state of Telangana.
A compromise was reached in the dispute related to Himachal Pradesh with one member each from rival factions finding a place in the electoral college. The current secretary general Jagdish and Kuldeep Rana from the disaffiliated unit were added to the list. Rana replaced president Chander Mohan.
From Rajasthan, current president Umaid Singh and secretary general Nanu Singh were retained while the claim of the faction led by Prem Lochab was rejected.
The sports ministry had ordered the WFI to suspend all its activities with immediate effect after appointing an oversight committee to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment of women wrestlers by national body president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has received a bail in the case.
The IOA had appointed an ad-hoc panel to run the day-to-day activities of the federation.
(With PTI inputs)<\/span><\/div>\n