Indian Golf Union polls on December 27, online or not?

CHENNAI: The long-standing impasse over elections in the Indian Golf Union (IGU) took a new turn on Monday. At the body's annual general meeting, Returning Officer RK Gauba suggested that elections be held afresh than declaring names of those who would have been elected from the polls held in December 2018. Accordingly, elections will be conducted on December 27.

Results of elections held two years ago could not be declared back then due to a court order. After a prolonged court battle, more orders and cancellation of meetings, the results were expected to be announced at Monday's AGM. But following the Returning Officer's suggestion which was accepted by the chairman of the meeting, the house unanimously decided to have fresh elections for all the posts.

A notice to this effect has to be circulated three weeks before December 27. Holding elections in the current situation is not simple because there is a question mark over members from different parts of the country travelling to one city to cast votes. Some of them are reluctant because IGU meetings are usually held in Delhi, which is experiencing a rise in Covid-19 cases. On the other hand, there is no provision of online voting in the IGU's constitution or the National Sports Development Code. It has to be seen whether an exception will be made considering the extraordinary circumstances.

Most of the members attended Monday's meeting online, while some were present at the IGU office in Delhi. It's also not clear what happens to the term of office-bearers, since no elected person held office from 2018-20. There were interim office-bearers in this period to ensure that activities didn't come to a standstill.

The Sports Code allows individuals a certain number of terms, after which they can't hold positions of office-bearers. It's possible that nobody will be deemed to be holding office from 2018-20. But if not, this may lead to complications. According to a directive from the sports ministry, IGU is among a host of national sports federations which have to conduct elections fulfilling conditions mentioned in the Sports Code before December 31. Failure may result in getting de-recognised.

The IGU was deemed non-compliant with the Sports Code for a period for not submitting a list of elected candidates, although it could not do so because of the stay on declaring election results.