"The date for BCCI election remains unaltered. The BCCI elections shall take place on 22nd October 2019," the CoA noted © AFP

The Supreme-Court appointed Committee of Administrators has decided to offer a two week extension to the state associations to complete election as per their registered new constitution but issued an ultimatum that non-compliance will no longer be tolerated given intimation for the central BCCI election will have to be sent out at least 21 days before the unchanged October 22 election date.

"The date for BCCI election remains unaltered. The BCCI elections shall take place on 22nd October 2019," the CoA mentioned in a release issued on Friday (September 6). "All state associations who have not already (a) submitted their amended constitutions for approval to the Committee of Administrators; and/or (b) appointed electoral officer for conducting the elections; and/or (c) issued the notice for conduct of elections, are required to complete all of the aforesaid on or before 12th September 2019.

"All state associations who have not already (a) submitted their amended constitutions for approval to the Committee of Administrators; and/or (b) appointed electoral officer for conducting the elections; and/or (c) issued the notice for conduct of elections, are required to complete all of the aforesaid on or before 12th September 2019."

The CoA's stance followed their consistent correspondence with state associations in relation to the amendments required to their constitutions to be in compliance with the one registered by the BCCI in August 2018. The CoA has previous observed that only 14 of the 38 associations had registered their new constitutions. Ten others have amended their constitutions but are yet to register the same while three members - Services, Railways and Universities - funded by the Indian government are exempted from the same.

"Despite the efforts made by the Ld. Amicus some of the state associations have on one pretext or the other not complied with the said judgement," the CoA release stated.

As per the timelines issued by the CoA post the Amicus Curiae PS Narasimha's report dated May 21, 2019, the state associations were required to appoint an Electoral Officer by July 1, 2019 and had to complete election latest by September 14, 2019. In order to assist the state associations, the CoA appointed N Gopalaswami as the Electoral Officer by June 7, who, in August, also issued the Advisory on State Association Elections.

The Supreme Court judgement of August 9, 2018 approved the draft constitution of BCCI, in line with the ratified Lodha directives, of the BCCI and instructed the Registrar of Societies to register the approved constitution of the BCCI. It also directed the state associations to undertake registration of their constitution on similar lines within 30 days thereafter. The said judgment also required each state association to furnish a compliance certificate to the Committee of Administrators so that the CoA could file a status report before the Hon'ble Supreme Court with reference to the compliance undertaken by the state associations.

The BCCI Constitution was registered on August 21 2018. While 10 associations are eligible for the aforementioned compliance certificate, certain others have sought clarifications in a supposed bid to prolong the change process. "The judgment does not leave any room for the general body of the state associations to either accept or reject the changes mandated in the respective state association constitutions by the said judgement of the Hon'ble Supreme Court," the CoA release said.