Kataka: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the Orissa High Court that Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) cannot keep its elections in abeyance for an indefinite period.
The polls must be conducted immediately to comply with OCA’s own by-laws, BCCI rules and Supreme Court directions, the board informed the High Court in an affidavit.
The BCCI said its memorandum of association (MoA) prescribes a three-year term for office-bearers and permits a maximum of three terms, or nine years, in all. More importantly, an office-bearer can hold a post for only two consecutive terms and must thereafter observe a three-year cooling-off period.
“These rules have been adopted by BCCI in furtherance of the judgment of the Supreme Court dated August 9, 2018 and September 14, 2022,” TOI quoted the affidavit submitted to the HC on August 21 as saying.
The board maintained that these Supreme Court directions were equally binding on the OCA. Compliance, it said, was also necessary for the state association to continue as a BCCI member and retain its recognition.
The affidavit was filed in a petition by OCA council member Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and Kataka-based Sunrise Club, challenging the indefinite postponement of the polls, originally due in Oct 2025.
Stressing the need for timely elections, BCCI said office-bearers and elected members of the state associations play a key role in administering cricket and therefore their continuation in office must remain within the prescribed limits.
BCCI senior manager (legal) Melinda Colaco filed the affidavit pursuant to the high court’s August 13 direction seeking its response on the OCA election dispute.
After hearing the matter, the court directed it to be listed on August 27 for further hearing. The BCCI pointed out that the OCA’s own by-laws contain a similar restriction on consecutive terms.
The OCA council had on February 22 resolved to defer the election process pending clarity over the proposed state sports bill and future BCCI directives. The last OCA polls were held in October 2022. Following the resignation of then-president and BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das, Pankaj Lochan Mohanty was elected unopposed as the president in February, 2025.