SC says no government minister or official in BCCI

The Supreme Court has accepted the Lodha Committe recommendation of one state one vote for representation at the BCCI

No minister or government official can be an office-bearer of the national cricketing body, the Supreme Court on Monday said in a major setback to the BCCI while it also accepted the Lodha Committe recommendation of one state one vote for representation at the BCCI.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur in a verdict on Monday said that a person cannot be simultaneously a office-bearer in state cricket association as well as in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The ruling could affect BCCI President Anurag Thakur who also heads the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

Chief Justice Thakur said that Maharashtra and Gujarat which have four and three associations respectively affiliated to the BCCI will now have one permanent representative by rotation and others will be associate members.

The court also accepted the Lodha Committe recommendation for a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the BCCI board.

On the question of bringing the BCCI within the ambit of Right to Information Act, the court left it for parliament to take a call.

However, the court refused to interfere with the BCCI in respect of awarding broadcasting rights and the funding of the state associations.

Giving six months' time to the BCCI to transit to a new regime, the court said Justice Lodha Committee will oversee the transition.