Anurag Thakur left out of final BFI electoral college approved by returning officer

New Delhi: Attempts to include Anurag Thakur in the electoral college for the upcoming Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections were quashed after the former sports minister's name was not included in the final list approved by the returning officer on Thursday.

A BFI notification, signed by president Ajay Singh, on Wednesday said Thakur was "ineligible" for the federation's poll process as his nomination was in violation of the boxing body's constitution as well as the National Sports Code.

BFI secretary Hemanta Kalita, however, released another list which included the former sports minister's name.

But Justice (retd.) RK Gauba, the returning officer, in his order said, Kalita's list cannot be acted upon.

"Having heard all concerned, the undersigned is of the view that the Electoral College List prepared by Mr. Kalita, the incumbent Secretary General of BFI cannot be acted upon in view of the unambiguous rules vesting in the "overall powers of supervision" over the working of BFI and also responsibility to "oversee office Bearers/Members" of the EC," the order, in possession of PTI, read.

It is expected that Thakur's faction, which had approached Gauba earlier in the day, will now take legal action.

"We met and spoke with the returning officer today. Gave him our representation. We are quite hopeful," Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) president Rajesh Bhandari told PTI.

"We will seek court intervention if required. Anurag Thakur is a member of the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association. He has been a member since 2008," he added.

The final list of electoral college approved by the returning officer also omitted both names sent by the Delhi Delhi Amateur Boxing Association -- Rohit Jainendra Jain and Neeraj Kant Bhatt.

The nomination window for the election will remain open from March 14-16.

Former BCCI president Thakur, a BJP MP, was expected to contest for the BFI president's post.

The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) nominated Thakur for the elections.

HPBA president Bhandari, also a BFI vice-president, was the other nominated member from the state.

The final list of candidates contesting the election will be published on March 22.

The BFI also rejected names of Larry Kharpran (Meghalaya) and Asish Kumar Saha (Tripura) for the same reason and said that the two names sent by Delhi state body -- Rohit Jainendra Jain and Neeraj Kant Bhatt -- were subject to clearance from the returning officer.

The BFI, which was being run by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)'s ad-hoc committee for not holding its elections by the due date of February 2, had decided to hold its polls on March 28 after the Delhi High Court stayed the IOA order.