Punjab and Haryana High Court stays Wrestling Federation of India elections slated for 12 August

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday stayed the Wrestling Federation of India elections that is scheduled for Saturday (12 August) till further notice. This comes after the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA) filed a petition, challenging the move to allow Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association to cast votes in the WFI elections. Advocate Ravinder Malik, who is representing the HWA, said that the state body was affiliated to the WFI. As per rules and the constitution of the WFI, any registered affiliated body can send two representatives to cast their votes for the WFI polls, he stated. The HWA advocate said that one more body, Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association has claimed that it was affiliated with the WFI as well as Haryana Olympic Association. Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association further claimed that the HWA has no business to participate in the election process because it is not affiliated with the WFI. “The returning officer has given the finding in favour of Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association, saying they fulfil the condition of affiliation with WFI as well as Haryana Olympic Association,” said the advocate. “We have challenged the returning officer’s order in the HC, saying that the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association may be affiliated with the WFI but it is not affiliated with the HOA, meaning they are not entitled to participate in the poll process,” said Malik, representing HWA. “In case, Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association is allowed to participate in the election process, then it will cause prejudice as well as the WFI elections will be illegal,” he said. The court has taken note of it and said lest it should cause prejudice to anybody, prima facie, it seems Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association is not eligible to cast votes. The court of justice Vinod S Bhardwaj of the HC has stayed the elections of the WFI. With inputs from PTI