Aditya Verma on Monday urged the BCCI electoral officer to reconsider his decision to reject the objections raised by the former regarding the participation of Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Rakesh Kumar Tiwari in the BCCI elections.
“I respectfully submit that your decision to reject my objection fails to take these critical issues into account. The BCCI must take immediate action to prevent further damage to the credibility of cricket governance in Bihar and ensure that its electoral process is not tainted by individuals who have demonstrated an alarming disregard for legal and ethical norms,” Verma wrote in his letter on September 23.
Verma said the election of Tiwari as president of the BCA on 29.09.2019 is fundamentally flawed and violates key provisions of the BCA’s rules and regulations. He also stated, “More critically, Tiwari’s name doesn’t not appear on the official voter list of representatives from full members, as required by the BCA’s regulations. This omission is not a trivial procedural oversight but a direct violation of the core eligibility for contesting the election.”
“The decision of the Electoral Officer to dismiss these concerns overlooks this crucial legal defect, allowing Tiwari to unlawfully continue in a role for which he lacks the fundamental qualifications as prescribed by the BCA’s regulations,” he said in the letter.
Verma said the BCCI electoral officer’s response has been tardy. “Your response emphasizes that the issue of Tiwari’s eligibility is sub-judice and cannot have any bearing on his participation in the BCCI elections. However, this argument sidesteps the fact that no stay order has been issued by any court regarding the High Court’s judgement, nor does the pendency of any litigation absolve BCCI from its responsibility to uphold the ethical governance of cricket bodies.”
“I urge you to reconsider your decision in light of these compelling arguments and, in the interest of justice, exclude Tiwari from representing the BCA in the upcoming BCCI elections until these grave issues are properly adjudicated,” he stated.