Returning officer’s Rs 50 lakh demand stumps AICF

CHENNAI: Returning officer FMI Kalifulla’s demand for a high fee has put the warring factions of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) in a fix. In a recent communication to the AICF president and secretary, Justice (retd) Kalifulla said he wants Rs50 lakh and Rs8.5 lakh more for his assistants to conduct the federation’s elections in Hyderabad on an unspecified date. In an unexpected way, this has brought the rival factions on a common platform. Both sides are saying the AICF should not spend such a sum on conducting elections. Some are thinking of approaching the Madras High Court, which had appointed Kalifulla returning officer. Some are in favour of seeking the opinion of the state associations.

Kalifulla has already overseen the election process once. But his decision to reject the candidature of the entire panel of president PR Venketrama Raja and declare elected five members of secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan’s panel was set aside by the same court. In an order passed on February 18, the court ‘requested’ the returning officer to hold a special general meeting to conduct fresh elections. Although that order doesn’t mention any fee for the returning officer, the February 3 order which appointed him had stated he should be paid Rs5 lakh. Subsequently, Kalifulla was paid that amount and around Rs1.4 lakh more for his assistants for overseeing the election that was eventually set aside.

“I am not sure if the returning officer himself can set his fee. Last time, the court had fixed an amount. We will write to the returning officer, seeking a clarification if he indeed has asked for Rs58.5 lakh in total. If he confirms, we will approach the court again. It’s not possible to spend that sum on elections,” said RM Dongre, the Raja faction’s choice for secretary. Chauhan, too, felt Rs58 lakh for elections is not on. “Not just the president or secretary, even the AICF’s central council can’t sanction a sum of more than Rs25 lakh. Only the general body can do it. I have asked the  state units for their opinion on this,” he said.

Mostly from annual fees from players, sponsorships and tournament registration fees, the AICF earns around Rs1 crore per annum. Around Rs70 lakh is spent on various activities. But irrespective of whether it can afford Rs58 lakh, elections have to be held. How is a question that will need answered in the coming days. Anand, Humpy for OlympiadViswanathan Anand and Koneru Humpy will represent India in 44th Chess Olympiad in Moscow in August. Pentala Harikrishna, Vidit Gujrathi are two likely names in the men’s squad. The fourth spot could go to B Adhiban. Other than Humpy, D Harika is a certainty in the women’s squad, where Tania Sachdev, Bhakti Kulkarni and R Vaishali are in contention for the other two spots.