MPCA to make changes in its constitution: Secretary

The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) has decided to modify its constitution in the wake of the Supreme Court approving the BCCI's new draft constitution last week, a senior official said here today.

The changes would be made as soon as the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) adopts its new constitution as per the ruling, he said.

The proposed changes would extend the term of the MPCA office-bearers to three years, he said.

The SC had last week approved the BCCI's new draft constitution, effectively diluting its earlier order, to allow office-bearers to hold office for six consecutive years instead of three and reinstated voting rights of four legacy cricket associations in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

"As soon as the BCCI adopts its new constitution, the MPCA would also make necessary changes in its constitution in the given period and adopt new provisions," MPCA secretary Milind Kanmadikar told PTI in Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

The top court had also directed all state cricket bodies to adopt the new constitution in letter and spirit within four weeks and warned them of action for any non-compliance.

Earlier, the apex court had approved the Justice R M Lodha panel recommendation for a "cooling-off" period for office bearers after each term of three years.

Now, they can have two consecutive terms, either in a state association or in the BCCI or a combination of both, before a mandatory cooling-off period of three years.

"At present, the MPCA holds election once in every two years which means that the elected office bearers get a two-year term to serve. But, the changes in MPCA's constitution, following the SC order, would extend the term of the office-bearers to three years. This means the MPCA elections will be held every three years," said Kanmadikar.

Kanmadikar, a two-time secretary, would get affected by the apex court order based on the Lodha panel recommendations.

Meanwhile, MPCA former chairman and Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said today the change in the country's cricket administration as directed by the SC should be welcomed with open arms.

"There is no place for personal beliefs or an individual's prestige in the cricket administration. The process of reforms in the cricket administration is an institutional change and we should not have any difficulty in adopting it," he said.

Scindia said the change in the regulation is imminent which will ensure that new people will join the cricket administration.

He said the MPCA is already preparing for changes in its constitution.

"The committee preparing the new MPCA constitution has completed about 70 per cent of its work. Soon after the new BCCI constitution gets registered, we will also complete the formalities for implementing our new constitution," Scindia said.

Sources in MPCA said the term of the current managing committee of the body is set to expire by August end.

"However, given the current situation, the biennial elections of the MPCA can be postponed and that the existing committee would continue to work in the current scenario," they said.

In August 2016, following the recommendations of the SC-appointed Justice (retired) RM Lodha Committee, the MPCA had decided to postpone the elections.

It had been decided that Scindia (the then chairman) and other office-bearers of the outgoing Managing Committee, including Sanjay Jagdale, would continue to retain their positions until a clarification about the electoral process, they said.

However, Scindia and Jagdale left their positions in January 2017 because they had been holding different posts in the MPCA for nine years, according to the sources.