Former DDCA secy Tihara wants incumbent Sharma's ouster, latter rejects claims

New Delhi, Sep 3 (PTI) Former Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) secretary Vinod Tihara has written to the state unit's Apex Council members, urging them to remove the incumbent Ashok Sharma claiming that he has completed nine years in office as per the BCCI constitution framed by Justice Lodha Committee.

However, Sharma vehemently denied Tihara's claims stating that the former secretary is confusing everyone with "wrong technicalities." As per BCCI constitution (until National Sports Act becomes implementable), any person can stay in office for a cumulative period 18 years -- nine in state and nine in BCCI. At one go, a person may stay in office for six years (state plus BCCI or either) before a mandatory cooling off period of three years.

Tihara in his letter mentioned about the complaint filed by a voter member Praveen Arora.

"It is understood that one of our esteemed members, Sh. Praveen Kumar Arora (LM000878), had written to the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) and the entire Apex council, regarding tenure limits of Mr. Ashok Sharma - and requested the Association to initiate appropriate actions as per the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s orders and DDCA’s constitution documents.

"As a former secretary of our esteemed organization, I urge your good office to take cognizance of the same and undertake appropriate and immediate action without any further time delays. In this regard, my letter is enclosed for your urgent and necessary action." In his application, Tihara mentioned the tenure of Sharma's two terms constitutes 3288 days which is roughly nine years. In his first term, Sharma was an Apex Council member from December 21, 2012 to January 30, 2017. His second term started on November 10, 2020 and he would complete nine years in a state body by September 30, 2025.

Tihara, who has also had his share of controversies during his time in the office, cited Roger Binny's removal from BCCI presidency and Mahim Verma of Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) going into cooling off period as examples.

However, when Sharma was contacted by PTI, he said: "Mr Tihara is misleading everyone. The DDCA constitution has separate clauses for Directors and Office Bearers. I have been an office bearer for only seven months and my age is 66.

"So even by Lodha constitution, I am eligible. Mr Tihara has clubbed my time as Director with my secretaryship. If everything is counted, then how come Rajeev Shukla who has spent many years in many committees apart from being IPL chairman and now VP is still holding office." PTI KHS KHS DDV APA APA