The long-awaited Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections will now be held on December 21, as per a notification issued by returning officer Justice (retd.) M.M. Kumar on Friday.
The WFI elections faced several roadblocks due to different state units moving courts. Acting on a Haryana faction’s petition over voting rights, the elections were last stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 11 – a day before the scheduled polling.
On November 28, the Supreme Court set aside the stay order paving the way for the elections of the WFI, which remains suspended by world governing body United World Wrestling for not conducting its polls on time.
“The entire process of elections shall adhere to the stipulations and relevant provisions of the ratified constitution of the WFI and the Model Guidelines 2011 issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India. Result of the above elections shall, however, be subject to (the) outcome of the writ petition pending before the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court,” said Justice Kumar.
The elections were delayed as several wrestlers protested bringing various charges, including sexual harassment, against its outgoing president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
As Brij Bhushan was not eligible to contest after serving the stipulated three terms, his loyalist Sanjay Singh was pitted against former Commonwealth Games gold medallist wrestler Anita Sheoran for the president’s post.
