The Delhi High Court has said that elections to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) can be held electronically and directed the sports body to come with a confirmed poll schedule on January 8, 2021.
The December 18 direction by Justice Jayant Nath came on a plea by the Uttar Pradesh Amateur Boxing Association seeking a direction to BFI to conduct its elections on December 18 as per the original election schedule or any other date before December 31.
The court also issued notice to the Centre and BFI and sought their stand on the plea by the association.
The court also made a prima facie observation that while the BFI was ready to hold an Emergency General Meeting of the General Council on December 24 via video conferencing for extending tenure of the executive council members by three to six month, it was claiming it was “not feasible or advisable to hold the elections also through electronic form”.
“A large number of associations are conducting the elections through electronic form,” the court further observed.
It also said in its December 18 order that any decision taken in the meeting to be held on December 24 regarding the extension of the term of the president and executive council of BFI “shall be subject to further orders of this court”.
With the direction, the court listed the matter for hearing on January 8, 2021.
During the hearing, a counsel appeared for the Secretary General of BFI and said there was no need to postpone the elections on grounds of the coronavirus pandemic.
The association moved the high court after the BFI President issued a communication postponing the election on the grounds of the pandemic.
The association, in its plea, has alleged that the elections were postponed as someone had filed a nomination for the post of president.
The notice for holding the elections was issued on November 27, the returning officer was appointed on December 3 and nominations were to be filed from December 5 to December 7, the petition has said.
