Delhi HC vacates stay, AIFF elections get green light

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) breathed a sigh a relief on Tuesday after the Delhi High Court vacated a stay order granted against its election process.

According to a statement from the apex football's governing body, the elections will go ahead as scheduled on Wednesday.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner Rahul Mehra, a sports activist, on grounds of non-compliance to the Sports Code forced the High Court to stay the AIFF election.

Mehra showed the Delhi High Court how the AIFF violated several provisions of the Sports Code. The court stayed the election till the next hearing on January 20.

But according to AIFF sources, the agenda highlighted in the PIL that the AIFF has five proposers instead of two mentioned in the Sports Code is not correct as it is not mandatory.

"The same person had filed the same PIL in 2012 but did not get a stay order. Rather the Sports Ministry gave a letter that we are abiding by the Sports Code," an AIFF insider told IANS.

The election, said informed sources, was just a formality as incumbent Praful Patel had the unanimous support from the AIFF Executive Committee.

--IANS

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