BFI election process paused after court intervention

The returning officer appointed to hold the elections of the new executive body of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has paused the process.

Advertisement

Justice RK Gauba in a communication has stopped all the electioneering process after the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association (DABA) and Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) acquired favourable directions from the courts.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday stayed BFI president Ajay Singh’s office order that excluded DABA nominees from taking part in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on March 28 to elect the new executive. Similarly, the Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled in favour of the HPBA and directed the BFI to include former sports minister Anurag Thakur’s name in the electoral college and extend the last date of submission of nominations so that he gets a chance to file his nomination.

Justice Gauba has given time to the BFI to take action with regards to the two HC judgments.

“The two above-mentioned orders have been passed by the respective High Courts after completion of the stage of scrutiny of nominations on 18.03.2025 and publication of the list of valid nominations on 19.03.2025 in terms of the schedule published on 12.03.2025. Whilst the High Court of Delhi had directed BFI that “election process shall be continued” and that “the petitioners’ i.e. DABA “be allowed to participate in the election process”, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed BFI that “the last date of submission of nomination” be extended, to enable the second nominee from HPBA (viz, Mr Anurag Singh Thakur) to file his nomination and fully participate in the AGM,” Justice Gauba wrote in his order on Friday.

“This necessitates certain steps to be taken by the BFI under the R&Rs and the model election code. Having regard to the fact that model election code prescribes time-lines for the election process, it is rendered practically impossible, with the above mandated additions to the electoral college list for the electoral process to be continued and completed under the extant schedule. Thus the process is paused till BFI informs the undersigned of the action taken in the wake of court orders,” the order added.