As Rupa Gurunath set her foot inside the MA Chidambaram Stadium premises to attend the Annual General Meeting of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association on Thursday, it was after six years that she entered TNCA that's being ruled by her family for a couple of decades now.
With the TNCA AGM to start at 10.45 am, Rupa and her father, former BCCI president N Srinivasan reached the stadium at around 10.35 am and straightway headed to the meeting place. The entire meeting lasted just an hour as per the apparent suggestion of the family priest.
And the outcome of AGM, taking place after three years, was thus along expected lines. TNCA elected Rupa unopposed as its first woman president. In other words, all the powers continue to rest with the TN strongman.
Rupa last went to the stadium to watch an Indian Premier League game in 2013, before spot-fixing scandal broke out with her husband Gurunath Meiyappan being banned for life by Justice Lodha panel. Ever since, she had restricted herself to the behind-the-scenes operations of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The decision to nominate 73-year-old Srinivasan, as was speculated, as its representative at the October 23 AGM in Mumbai was not taken on Thursday.
A former TNCA official reasoned it by saying that "it has been left to the newly-elected TNCA executive body to take any such decision regarding its representation in BCCI". However, DNA has reliably learnt that it was the result in of the latest guidelines issued by Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) making it clear that "no person above the age of 70 would be allowed to take part in the board's AGM".
It is another matter that TNCA's plea regarding age guidelines is pending before the apex court. The results will be formally announced only after the SC nod.
The COA has deemed TNCA's new constitution as "non compliant" on 21 counts as per Lodha Committee's recommendations and asked it to take corrective measures by October 4 if they have to participate in the BCCI AGM on October 23.
COA disapproves elections
The Vinod Rai-led COA didn't waste a single minute after the TNCA completed election formalities to write to the state cricket association that "it needs to comply on 21 counts in the amended constitution in order to be eligible to vote at upcoming BCCI AGM".
The COA further clarified that age cap of 70 years stands after SC's recent clarification. "TNCA has been non-compliant on 21 counts," COA mail categorically specified.
TNCA has been further directed to hold fresh elections by October 4 after accordingly incorporating the necessary amendments in its constitution and register such modified constitution with the Registrar of Societies, Tamil Nadu. A copy of the new registered constitution is also required to reach the COA office at the earliest in order to secure the voting right in BCCI elections.
