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Vinod Tihara urges DDCA Apex Council to remove Ashok Sharma over tenure limits, citing BCCI and Lodha rules, but Sharma denies claims, calling Tihara’s interpretation misleading.
Arun Jaitley Stadium. (BCCI Photo).
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 per the BCCI constitution framed by the Justice Lodha Committee.
However, Sharma vehemently denied Tihara’s claims, stating that the former secretary is confusing everyone with “wrong technicalities.”
According to the BCCI constitution (until the National Sports Act becomes enforceable), any person can hold office for a cumulative period of 18 years — nine years in the state and nine years in the BCCI. At one time, a person may remain in office for six years (state plus BCCI or either) before a mandatory cooling-off period of three years.
What Is The Controversy In DDCA?
In his letter, Tihara referred to a complaint filed by 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 organisation, I urge your good office to take cognisance 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 that the tenure of Sharma’s two terms constitutes 3,288 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 faced controversies during his time in office, cited Roger Binny’s removal from BCCI presidency and Mahim Verma of Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) entering the cooling-off period as examples.
However, when contacted by PTI, Sharma 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.”
(With inputs from PTI)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
Read More
