Ganguly, Shah eligible to serve BCCI until 2025 after Supreme Court amends cooling-off period
The Supreme Court has agreed to amend the cooling-off period suggested for the BCCI office bearers. Thus, Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah can now serve as BCCI's president and secretary, respectively, until 2025.
FollowThe Supreme Court on Wednesday authorised the modification of the constitution of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It paved the way for Sourav Ganguly (President) and Jay Shah (Secretary) to continue in office without serving the required cooling-off period, as previously suggested by the SC. Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli expressed that an office bearer can serve 12 years on a stretch, including six years in the State Association and six years in the BCCI, before going on a three-year cooling-off period. The bench also enunciated that an office bearer can fit a distinct position for a couple of successive terms, both at the BCCI and the State Association, after which he will serve the three-year cooling-off duration.
"The purpose of the cooling-off period is not to create undesirable monopolies", the bench stated. The SC's order came on BCCI's plea to seek an amendment to its constitution on its office bearers' tenure, including Ganguly and Shah, as it wanted to get away with the compulsory cooling-off period between office bearers' terms across states and the BCCI itself.
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In its proposed amendment, the BCCI sought the annulment of a cooling-off course for its office bearers, enabling Ganguly and Shah to continue as President and Secretary, respectively. Both have served for six years at individual state cricket associations. Earlier, the Justice RM Lodha-led committee had instructed reforms in the BCCI, which the SC had accepted.
The BCCI's constitution, to which the SC formerly consented, specifies a compulsory three-year cooling-off period for someone serving a couple of consecutive terms of three years each in the state or the BCCI. While Ganguly was the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) office bearer, Shah served at the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA).
(With inputs from PTI)
