As widely anticipated, incumbent secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan and four members of his panel have been duly elected unopposed to the principal posts of the All India Chess Federation (AICF).
Since M/s. Ajay Patel (president), Vipnesh Bhardwaj (vice-president), Bharat Singh Chauhan (secretary), Arun Singh (joint-secretary) and Naresh Sharma (treasurer) were found to be the only nominees with valid nomination papers, such an announcement was on cards.
An order issued late on Tuesday evening by Madras High Court-appointed Returning Officer Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla stated: “Having regard to the said ultimate outcome of the Election process for the Office Bearers of All India Chess Federation (AICF) for the period 2020-2023, the proposed election scheduled on 23.02.2020 cannot take place and the same is declared as such.”
In his order under “Proceedings of the Returning Officer”, the former judge of Supreme Court stated, “Form-6 in respect of the posts of president, honorary secretary and treasurer consists of a single candidate only for the three posts.
“The number of posts to be filled indisputably for each of the above three posts is one post only.
“The number of contesting candidates in Form-6 for the posts of president, honorary secretary and treasurer being equal, all such contesting candidates should be deemed to be duly elected unopposed to those posts as per para 9 (1) of the National Sports Development Code, 2011.
“There, it has become unnecessary to take a poll for election to such posts.”
“In respect of the posts of vice-president and joint-secretaries, here again the arrangement in Form-6 reveals that as against six posts of vice-president and six posts of joint-secretary, the name of only one candidate each respectively alone could be arranged. Therefore, there is no scope for a poll for election to the said posts of vice-president and joint-secretary also.”
