Munda, Rao clash for AAI president's post, Indian archery looks for new dawn

The suspended and faction-ridden Archery Association of India will hope for a new beginning when it goes to polls here on Saturday on the directions of the Delhi High Court.

Union Minister Arjun Munda and retired IAS officer BVP Rao will be up against each other for the post of the AAI president while Pramod Chandurkar and Maha Singh are the candidates for the secretary's post.

The two groups led by Munda and Rao had in June last year elected themselves as presidents, in two separate elections held simultaneously in New Delhi and Chandigarh, leading to AAI's suspension by the World Archery.

But as per the Delhi High Court order, the two will clash for the first time as the World Archery, who has sent an observer, will be keenly watching the proceedings.

A total of 31 state associations are part of the AAI but only 26 states -- each having a share of two votes -- will take part in the polls. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir are not part of the electoral college.

There will be a total of 52 votes to elect the 19-member executive committee consisting of president, secretary general, senior vice-president, eight vice-presidents, seven joint-secretaries and one treasurer.

World Archery has indicated that the suspension of the AAI can be lifted "conditionally" after the election.

With six months left for the Tokyo Olympics, the AAI elections assume significance as Indian archers have already secured a team quota (in men's) and one individual quota in women's section.

"I have to ensure that there's no interference, will see if every voter is casting his vote independently or under any pressure from any group," the World Archery observer Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol told PTI.

Chapol, who is the WA vice-president (Asia region), further said it's a step in the right direction and the suspension is set to be lifted if the elections are free and fair.

"Definitely, it's a positive and much-awaited step for the Indian archery. There's 100 per cent chance of the suspension to be lifted, should there be fair elections."
Rao, on his part, said: "It's good that elections are finally held by the Court. Whoever wins it's fine, the archery should go forward, come what may."
List of Nominated Candidates:
President: Arjun Munda (Jharkhand) and BVP Rao (Assam);
Secretary General: Pramod Chandurkar (Maharashtra) and Maha Singh (Chandigarh);
Senior Vice-president: G A Ibopishak Sharma (Manipur) and Capt Abhimanyu Sindhu (Haryana);
Vice-Presidents: Anatharaju (Karanataka), Jayanta Boro (Assam), Amarinder Singh Bazaz (Chandigarh), Rupak Debroy (Tripura), K K Jadam (Rajasthan), Rupesh Kar (Bengal), Chetan Kavlekar (Goa), Kailash Muraka (Chhattisgarh), Paia Banylla War Nongbri (Meghalaya), Cherukuri Satyanarayana (Andhra) and D K Vidyarthi (MP);
Joint Secretary: Dinesh Bhil (Gujarat), K B Gurung (Sikkim), Ram Niwas Hooda (Haryana), Syed Ali Hussaini (TN), V Lalzawmliana (Mizoram), Sumanta Chandra Mohanty (Jharkhand), Komjum Riba (Arunachal), Mangisana Sharma (Manipur), Joris Paulose Ummacheril (Kerala) and R Venkatesh (Karnataka);