AICF calls meeting on Feb 9 to elect new office-bearers

The conflict-ridden All India Chess Federation (AICF) has called for a special general body meeting on February 9 in Ahmedabad to elect new office-bearers.

AICF Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan has called for the meeting.

According to the notice, retired Supreme Court judge Justice Arijit Pasayat will be the Returning Officer for the elections.

The polls will be held to elect the president, six vice presidents, one honorary secretary, six joint secretaries and one treasurer.

"1. Elections to the office-bearers for the term 2020-2023 for the following posts. One President, Six Vice-Presidents, One Hon Secretary, Six Joint Secretaries and One Treasurer, 2. To pass appropriate resolutions after the new office-bearers are elected, 3. Any other matter with the permission of the Chair," the notice read.

The notice said 13 state associations -- Bihar, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttaranchal, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Assam -- had called for the meeting with an agenda to hold the elections.

The February 9 general body meeting comes after the three meetings held in December (on 14, 22 and 28) last year.

At the meeting on December 28 in Bhopal, the AICF decided to conduct the special general body meeting on February 9 during which the elections would be held.

The faction led by the AICF President P R Venketrama Raja had met in Chennai last month during which it was decided to hold the elections on February 10 in the city.

Chauhan told PTI that the notice was given as per the decision taken at the December 28 general body meeting.

Chauhan and the Federation President Venketrama Raja have been at loggerheads over various issues.

Chauhan said there was no hurdle in holding the general body meet in Ahmedabad even though the AICF is headquartered in Chennai.

Meanwhile, AICF Treasurer Kishore M Bandekar, who belongs to the Venketrama Raja faction, said general body meets of the Federation are held in the city where it is headquartered.

He also accused Chauhan of calling for meeting as and when he wanted and said the February 9 meeting called by him was not valid.