The $100 mn question: Will Jaitley, Shah help Srinivasan retain grip over BCCI?

The Supreme Court has laid down the law for N Srinivasan saying that he can’t contest any BCCI polls unless he gives up his ownership of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, but does that mean it’s all over for the BCCI president who has resisted all calls to vacate his seat so far? Not just yet. In its verdict the apex court said,“We make it clear that the disqualification for contesting elections applicable to those who are holding any commercial interest in BCCI events shall hold good and continue till such time the person concerned holds such commercial interest or till the Committee considers and awards suitable punishment to those liable for the same; whichever is later.” However, in one of the few reactions offered after the verdict, when Srinivasan was asked what he would do now, he told the Mumbai Mirror cryptically,“That’s a $100 million question.” The BCCI is to conduct its next election within six weeks, which gives Srinivasan a deadline to get rid of any links with the IPL team. However, efforts to that end may have begun well before the Supreme Court verdict. [caption id=“attachment_2060719” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Srinivasan may not be out just yet. PTI image[/caption] An earlier report had said that India Cements may have already demerged Chennai Super Kings as a wholly owned subsidiary. As we pointed out , this move is expected to see Srinivasan be able to sell of the stake in the company as quickly as he can find investors. But given it’s a distress sale with a deadline, the BCCI president risks not getting the price he would like. A Mumbai Mirror article points out that Srinivasan may have found a way out of that dilemma as well. While he wants to ensure that he doesn’t face the same fate as Sahara chief Subrata Roy for failing to adhere to its order, the report said that Srinivasan is exploring the possibility of handing over control of India Cements to his daughter, or finding a trusted buyer for the Chennai Super Kings team. As this Hindustan Times article points out, if Srinivasan manages to meet the deadline for the elections, he could easily win the polls for the cricketing body. To contest the board elections, Srinivasan needs two state units from East Zone to propose and second his name, and he already has four on his side. To stay on as the board president, Srinivasan needs 16 votes and the BCCI president can reportedly expect the six votes from the South Zone and four from the East Zone for certain. Given however, he doesn’t enjoy support from the West and Central zone, Srinivasan will need the North Zone boards of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi to vote in his favour. In addition to these he would need to ensure votes from the Services, Railways and Universities, which could take him to the required number to stay on as president. But as a Times of India report points out, if Srinivasan fails to complete the stake sale in time, he would be out of the race himself and would have to hope that the BJP, whose leaders like party chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hold sway over eight state boards, decide to play ball and vote for a proxy candidate fielded by him and his supporters. However, as a skeptical BCCI veteran told the Hindustan Times, “Proxy politics doesn’t work in the BCCI. If he is not allowed to contest, he (Srinivasan) is finished.” The BJP-controlled state boards could also decide to back a faction led by former presidents like Jagmohan Dalmiya or Sharad Pawar to bring them back to power. But the silence of the BJP leaders on the Supreme Court’s directives and their lack of initiative when the controversy over the IPL erupted, could mean the boards controlled by the party could still vote in favour of Srinivasan, if he is able to comply with the apex court’s directives. For Srinivasan, ceding control of the BCCI could mean he risks being completely shunted out of the organisation, which in turn could result in him not being able to take over as the International Cricket Council  chief. But if he’s able to get rid of any direct association with the IPL team and the judicial committee gives its approval, the BCCI chief may just be able to hold on to his post, if the BJP leaders in question play ball. Somehow, there’s no reason to cheer for Srinivasan’s large number of critics just yet. For now, the wait continues.