Members call AITA meeting after chief Jain challenges poll validity

AITA president Anil Jain, against whom a no-confidence motion was proposed by state associations last year, has requested the Delhi High Court to declare null and void the federation elections conducted in September 2024, prompting irate Executive Committee members to call for a meeting on June 27.

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One of the affiliated units of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) had alleged at that time Jain had used his position in the federation for personal gains. The no-confidence motion, though, was withdrawn ahead of the AGM that elected a new body.

But since the election results remained with the court in a sealed envelope due to a petition filed by Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja challenging the validity of the polls, the newly-elected office bearers remained outside the system.

Responding to the same petition, Jain in his prayer, filed on May 26, said that the All India Tennis Association elections should be declared null and void but requested the court not to appoint a Committee of Administrators (CoA), saying it would “invite objections and adverse reactions from the ITF (world governing body) as well as the ATF (Asian body) and would also hinder the functioning of AITA.” The prayer said the ultimate objective of amending the constitution and ensuring efficient functioning of AITA at the same time can be achieved by the present management under the supervision of the court.

However, the EC members claimed that Jain did not consult them before filing the reply on behalf of the Federation.

“Such a reply needed EC concurrence. He can’t just go and file it in the court like this. EC has to pass a resolution, only then a petition or a reply can be filed. He is trying to disqualify all other members,”Hironmoy Chatterjee, who issued the EC meeting notice, said.

“As of today unauthorised people are running the organisation,”Chatterjee added. Jain said he did not need to consult anyone.