Kochi bid row: IPL governing council to meet informally

With the furore over Kochi franchise's ownership showing no signs of settling down, the IPL's Governing Council members meet here "informally" for the first time after the event's Commissioner Lalit Modi sparked the row on Twitter.

Although the IPL top brass is gathering here in the picturesque hill-town to inaugurate an academy, it provides them the opportunity to discuss the issue in detail amidst indications that Modi's wings could be clipped.

The council is apparently not too happy with Modi's style of functioning that has spawned a lot of controversies, the most damaging so far being the Kochi IPL bid.

Modi, who has appeared to be unfazed by the controversy as well as the income tax raid that followed his verbal war with junior foreign minister Shashi Tharoor, is expected to be here but whether he will be present at the meeting is not known.

"Since most of the governing council members will be here, the issues will be discussed informally. It will prepare the stage for the IPL governing council meeting to be held after the third edition ends on April 25," a top BCCI source said.

BCCI President Shashank Manohar, secretary N Srinivasan, IPL vice-Chairman Niranjan Shah, chairman of the media and finance committee Rajiv Shukla and council members Chirayu Amin and Arun Jaitely are expected to be present.

Modi flew in this afternoon and told reporters at the Gaggle airport that there was no controversy and there will be no special meeting among the members on the issue.

"We are a transparent body and we have nothing to hide. There is no scheduled meeting to discuss the issue," Modi said.

He said he was looking forward to watching the match between Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers and promoting the venue as a cricket centre.

Modi, who wields considerable influence in the powerful post of IPL Commissioner and Chairman, has found himself in a spot of bother after his public disclosure of the stake-holding structure in the Kochi franchisee which has snowballed into a major controversy.

Although as per the IPL constitution, Modi cannot be removed as the Commissioner till 2012, he may be asked to discuss all issues with the IPL Governing Council before making anything public.

The IPL Governing Council will make it clear to Modi that his role would be restricted, the source said.