Delhi HC orders inclusion of Delhi Chess Association representatives in AICF voter list

Chennai/New Delhi: In a major setback for All India Chess Federation (AICF) President Sanjay Kapoor, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered for the inclusion of Delhi Chess Association’s representatives in the chess body’s electoral college.

Meanwhile, questions are being raised as to the capacity in which Kapoor is issuing the electoral college, since as per the AICF bylaws, office-bearers demit office on the expiry of their term, irrespective of whether elections are held.

“The Delhi High Court has ordered AICF to add Delhi Chess Association’s representatives to the electoral college of AICF. Now, representatives of Delhi Chess Association can vote in the AICF elections,” Bharat Singh Chauhan, President, Delhi Chess Association (DCA), told IANS.

The DCA has nominated its Vice President Ram Pratap Singh and Joint Secretary Dharmender to attend and vote at the AICF General Body meeting scheduled on March 10 in Delhi.

Out of the 33 state and Union Territory affiliates of AICF, its President Kapoor published the electoral college on February 24 omitting Delhi Chess Association and Madhya Pradesh. As there is only an ad-hoc body overseeing Madhya Pradesh's chess affairs, it does not have voting rights.

Chauhan had termed the omission of DCA from the electoral college as 'deliberate' and 'malafide'.

In a letter to the two returning officers -- Justice G.S Sistani (retd) and Justice Rang Nath Pandey (retd) -- and the AICF, Chauhan said that in accordance with the National Sports Development Code 2011 and in terms of the AICF election notification dated February 11, 2024, the DCA duly submitted the names of the delegates to vote in the upcoming elections.

"There has been no suspension/termination/discontinuation of the affiliation status of DCA with the AICF and yet our association’s submissions for Form-1 have not been included," Chauhan said in his letter, as he requested amendment to the electoral college.

What is strange is Kapoor issuing the election notice and approving the electoral college, feel chess officials.

According to them, as per the AICF constitution, the office-bearers demit office at the end of their term, irrespective of whether elections are held.

“The three-year term of the AICF office-bearers ended on January 4, 2024. No office-bearer can continue in the office after that. But strangely, Kapoor is issuing the election notice while there is no poll related communication from the returning officers,” Antarip Roy, Secretary, Bengal Chess Association, told IANS.

In the past, it was the returning officer who approved and issued the electoral college.

Roy pointed out that during the last elections, it was K. Kannan, the retired Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, who had issued the Form 1 -- the electoral college.

Meanwhile, Roy has written to the two returning officers attaching the order of the Alipore Civil Court wherein the AICF was directed not to deny the rights of Bengal Chess Association to participate in the general body meeting and the elections of the office-bearers on March 10, 2024.

“We have not received any reply from the two returning officers yet,” Roy told IANS.

The Bengal Chess Association was disaffiliated by the AICF in 2021, soon after the new set of office-bearers were elected. The disaffiliation matter has gone to the court and a decision is waited.