Is Lalit Modi Preparing The Pitch For His Son?

Lalit Modi has created a flutter in Rajasthan's cricket and political circles with the election of his 22-year-old son Ruchir as president of the Alwar District Cricket Association (ADCA).

The results of the election held on August 22 were announced on Monday.

"Ruchir did not contest the election as he was nominated and elected unanimously," Pawan Goyal, secretary, ADCA, said.

However, it is not going to be easy for Ruchir. This is because the other members of the cricket body have cried foul, claiming they were not informaed about the election which took place 'behind closed doors.'

Besides this, legal disputes concerned with memberships and inclusion of cricket clubs are pending before the Registrar of Co-operatives since 2010.

"Till the Registrar of Co-Operatives does not nominate an ad-hoc committee, they cannot hold an election. If they have done it by themselves, they should better have some answers ready," said Pawan Sharma, deputy secretary and life member, ADCA.

Sharma was one of the members who said he had received no notification regarding the election.

However, Somendra Tiwari, Rajasthan Cricket Association secretary and the observer who is sorting the legal issues, said,"An election was held and Ruchir Kumar Modi has been unanimously nominated elected as the president."

On the other hand, some Alwar District Cricket Association members who happened to be Ruchir Modi's supporters, waved copies of his election certificate which they claimed to have signed by district sports officer LR Saini, who is a government appointee.

But the larger political ramifications of this election are hard to ignore.

Lalit Modi's stand-off with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). With him at the helm of affairs in RCA, the BCCI has refused to recognise the state cricket body.

With son Ruchir getting a toehold, is Modi prepping for a backdoor entry into cricket administration again?

"Everything that Mr Modi does in Rajasthan has the blessings of chief minister Vasundhara Raje. She even supported him despite knowing he was wanted in cases in India," said Congress spokesperson Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.