AIFF requests SC to reconsider two clauses of draft constitution, matter to be taken up Friday

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Thursday requested the Supreme Court to reconsider two clauses of the draft constitution which were approved by the top court last month.

The apex court will take up the matter on Friday.

The SC last month approved the draft constitution of the AIFF prepared by former apex court judge L Nageswara Rao with certain modifications, and directed the national football body to adopt it within four weeks in a general body meeting.

"The AIFF's counsel made a mention today before the same bench of the Supreme Court that approved the draft constitution and ordered the national federation to adopt it. The AIFF counsel requested reconsideration of two articles," a top source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"The bench graciously agreed to take up the matter on Friday," he added.

After the SC verdict on September 19, the AIFF has called a Special General Meeting (SGM) here on Sunday to adopt the draft constitution in line with the top court's ruling.

But one particular clause -- 25.3 (c) -- of the draft constitution has caused headache to the AIFF top brass.

Clause (c) of Article 25.3 of the draft constitution sates that: "In the event a person is elected as an Office-Bearer in the Executive Committee of the AIFF and holds a position of an Office-Bearer in a Member Association, he/she shall automatically be deemed to have vacated his/her position in the Member Association." If the draft constitution is approved on Sunday at the SGM along with this clause, a majority of the AIFF's Executive Committee members may have to resign from their positions or lose their top posts in the state units.

Another clause -- 23.3 -- relating to the amendment of the constitution was added by the AIFF for reconsideration by the SC when its counsel made a mention before the bench on Thursday.

The AIFF's EC members can, however, continue to their respective posts in the state units if they resign from the membership of the committee before the SGM.

The AIFF executive committee currently has 16 elected officials and six co-opted eminent former players who have voting rights.

Out of the 16 officials, at least 12 are also holding posts in the state units and thus will be affected by Article 25.3 (c) of the AIFF draft constitution.

Some of them are presidents or secretaries and some are Executive Committee members of the state units. Most of them are likely to prefer to be associated with their states, more so as the AIFF election is less than one year away.

Under the draft constitution, the executive committee members of both the AIFF and the state units will be considered as "office bearers".

The particular clause was included in the draft constitution formulated by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) headed by former Chief Election Commissioner of India SY Quraishi, but was not there in the document prepared by Justice Rao.

However, on the plea of some stakeholders during the hearings, the SC re-instated the clause.

The world football governing body FIFA has set an October 30 deadline for the AIFF to adopt the new constitution or risk suspension. PTI PDS PDS DDV