N. Srinivasan Ready to Give up Chennai Super Kings for BCCI Return: Reports
As per a Supreme Court order, N Srinivasan can only contest BCCI elections if he gives up his IPL team Chennai Super Kings. But, will a technicality run him out.
- Prakash Govindasreenivasan
- Updated: January 25, 2015 02:36 PM IST
As widely-expected, N Srinivasan has reportedly decided to de-link himself from Chennai Super Kings and is keen to seek another term as BCCI president. In a landmark judgement on Thursday, the Supreme Court had struck down a controversial clause in the Board's constitution that allowed BCCI members to have commercial interests in tournaments like IPL.
For Srinivasan to contest the BCCI polls, which as per the court order must be completed within six weeks, he must first give up his stakes in Chennai Super Kings. Srinivasan's company India Cements is the owner of CSK. According to sources, Srinivasan will sell off his stake in the CSK franchise within the next two weeks and then file an affidavit saying there is no conflict of interest anymore. The IPL governing council meeting, schedule on February 3, has also been postponed.
As per reports, the embattled former BCCI boss has also started de-merging CSK from India Cements and made it a separate subsidiary hoping that the court will give him a reprieve. However, a technicality in the Supreme Court order might still stump him.
The court order stated that a person cannot contest elections, "till such time the person concerned holds such commercial interest (in the board) or till the three member committee (probing charges of betting on IPL matches against IPL teams CSK and RR and their officials/owners Meiyappan and Kundra) considers and awards suitable punishment to those liable for the same, whichever is later."
The court had formed a high-profile panel of former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha and other former judges of the top court - Ashok Bhan and RV Ravindran to probe and decide on the quantum of punishment on CSK and Rajasthan Royals. The panel would also review BCCI's constitution with special emphasis on conflict of interest and in the manner president's were elected. The panel has been given a period of six months to submit their findings.
(With inputs from Anurag Dwary)