A keen battle is on the cards as two groups headed by Gokaraju Ganga Raju, the outgoing secretary of Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) and Nekkanti Venkata Rao, association former secretary, vying to emerge victorious in the election slated for Wednesday at Vijayawada Club in Guntur District.
The election for ACA, right from its inception in 1953 until 2003, was held unanimously with one affiliated unit proposing a panel and the other units seconding it. However, in 2007, for the first time two panels headed by Mr. Venkata Rao and Mr. Ganga Raju-Chamundeswaranath duo were in the fray. Mr. Rao's panel, sensing defeat then, withdrew from the contest paving way for Mr. Raju's panel emerging victorious.
Amidst allegations, counter allegations and series of legal battles, this election would go down in the history of ACA as the most-fiercely contested, with both the groups striving hard to outmanoeuvre the other.
In the latest twist, Guntur Second Additional Sessions judge, in reply to a petition filed by three ACA members showing allegiance to Nekkanti group -- S.L. Narayana Row, M. Venkateswara Rao and Munish Saigal – asked the ACA not to announce the results until July 20.
HC directive
“In fact, the petitioners had asked for the stalling of the elections. The AP High Court has directed the vice-chairman and managing director of Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh Shashi Bhushan, who is acting as an observer of the election, to submit the video recording of the proceedings before July 20.
He will hand over the sealed cover of the proceedings to the court and the results will be announced by the court,” said Mr. Ganga Raju.
Out of the 40 votes, the group which can muster support of two-thirds of the members will run the association for the next four years. In a show of strength, Andhra Cricket Association out-going secretary Mr. Gokaraju Ganga Raju paraded 29 members showing allegiance to him in a media conference here on Tuesday.
