BCCI secy, 3 others face ouster from BCA managing committee

VADODARA: Secretary Sanjay Patel may knock doors of the court against his home association over a dispute about flouting of election rules.
Patel and three others face ouster from the managing committee, the apex decision making body of Baroda Cricket Association's (BCA), after two members raised objections citing breach of rules. The continuance of Patel as BCA secretary will be uncertain if the managing committee decides to remove all its four members.
BCA had in February sought legal opinion about co-option and election of four managing committee members including Patel, Dr Anandrao Patel, advocate, Kaushik Bhatt and Hemant Choksi. The issue came to fore after BCA member Mohan Karlekar objected to co-option of Bhatt and Anandrao in the committee citing breach of rules. Ajit Lele, son of former BCCI secretary late Jaywant Lele, too, objected to induction of Sanjay Patel and Choksi in the committee.
Karlekar argued that only those members who have served full term in a sub-committee can be co-opted in the managing committee. He said that Bhatt and Anandrao hadn't been members of any sub-committee. Lele too argued that Sanjay Patel was co-opted in the committee without being member of any sub-committee in past and same was the case about Choksi. The letters were discussed in the managing committee on February 3 and BCA president Samarjitsinh Gaekwad suggested taking legal opinion.
"The legal opinion says that one has to be a member of some sub-committee for being eligible to be co-opted or elected to the managing committee. All the four managing committee members face ouster. But the managing committee will discuss the issue on March 21 and take final call," said a BCA official.
When contacted, Sanjay Patel said that the managing committee doesn't have right to throw out any of its member. "The general body has to take the call about removing elected member from any committee or post. I have not read the legal opinion but if there is any attempt to remove me, I will go to court. The association should first deliberate over the issue and give me a chance to present my case. I have also asked for expert opinion from a friend."
Interestingly, Karlekar, who contested polls from Gaekwad and Sanjay's group, had also raised objection to Sanjay's inclusion in the managing committee in December last year after he won the elections.