Srinivasan looks to strengthen support base

FE Team | Published: October 29, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: October 28, 2014 21:21:36

N Srinivasan

With less than a month to go for the board elections, N Srinivasan, the BCCI's sidelined president, is working to strengthen his support base in the east zone, a region that could be important in the forthcoming election, reports Cricinfo.
During a personal visit to Guwahati and Kolkata on October 26, Srinivasan met with top officials from the Assam Cricket Association [ACA] and Cricket Association of Bengal [CAB].
India's Supreme Court had asked Srinivasan to step aside as BCCI president until the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel's investigation into allegations of corruption in the IPL 2013 were complete.
Despite the court-imposed rider that he could not announce his candidacy until the end of the investigation, Srinivasan first visited the new Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati and promised to work towards allotting Test status to the ground.
Before attending a charity event in Kolkata, Srinivasan also had a long meeting with CAB chief Jagmohan Dalmiya.
The developments are significant given that the east zone's role may be decisive in the BCCI presidential election.
According to the BCCI rules, each of the five zones nominate a president by rotation and this year, it is the east zone's turn to nominate a candidate for three years starting with next month's AGM.
Following an amendment of BCCI rules in 2012, an individual who is not from a specified zone can contest for the president's post with official support from two member organisations of that zone.
Srinivasan has thus been trying hard to ensure that all six members from the east zone are on his side to seal an unopposed election, despite their presence in a show of strength last month.
While the Jharkhand State Cricket Association and Orissa Cricket Association are Srinivasan's trusted allies, Tripura Cricket Association has also assured its support.
This leaves Assam and the two votes of CAB and the National Cricket Club, which are both headed by Dalmiya.
It is believed that Dalmiya, who has had a topsy-turvy relationship with Srinivasan, may have asked for a plum position for himself in order to support Srinivasan's candidacy.