cricket

Updated: Jul 11, 2020 01:45 IST

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah is all set to take charge as the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. He will be part of former India captain Sourav Ganguly’s team, who will take over as the new president. Jay Shah is no stranger to Indian cricket as he held the position of joint-secretary at Gujarat Cricket Association, with father Amit Shah as the president of the body. The father-son duo stepped down from their respective positions in the GCA earlier this year, along with vice-president Parimal Nathwani.

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What if I had been "elected" as @BCCI Secretary during UPA when my father was @HMOIndia, how would the "Nationalists" n Bhakts have reacted? #JustAsking https://t.co/EIYkEU43sO — Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) October 14, 2019

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, son of former Home Minister P Chidambaram, has questioned the election of Jay Shah as secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). His Twitter post read: “What if I had been “elected” as @BCCI Secretary during UPA when my father was @HMOIndia, how would the “Nationalists” n Bhakts have reacted? #JustAsking.”

Shah isn’t the only member of the new team who has connections with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Arun Dhumal, brother of former BCCI President and Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur, is set to take up the role of treasurer.

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One twitter user questioned Karti Chidambaram’s views. Indian cricket administration has seen representatives from different political parties over the years, including the Indian National Congress.

Sharad Pawar the great all-rounder was till recently president of Mumbai Cricket Association. Lalu Yadav was BCA president. Congress MP Rajiv Shukla's BCCI/UPCA Stint. CP Joshi in Rajasthan and Jyotiraditya Scindia heading MPCA, and recently Gehlot too. Experience in cricket? — amdnk (@amodnaik2) October 14, 2019

Rings a bell - https://t.co/ZXRdNxRf2u — Rajesh Varadharajan (@rajesh_v_rajan) October 14, 2019

But you are/were heading Tennis Assocn or some such in TN,Gehlot's son heads RCA; btw during UPA time the dads,Sharad,Farooq,Lalu, Vilasrao were heading Cricket Assocns; Praful Patel also heads Rifle or some such Assocn — Savitri S (@Savitritvs) October 14, 2019

There were other who questioned him over his involvement with Tamil Nadu Tennis Association. Chidambaram was earlier the vice-president All India Tennis Association. He continues to be President of the Tenpin Bowling Federation of India and Chief Patron of the All India Karate-Do Federation.

Apart from Ganguly, Shah and Dhumal, the others who filed their nominations included Mahim Verma (vice-president), Brijesh Patel (IPL GC Member), Jayesh George (Joint Secretary), Khairul Jamil Majumdar (governing council member. The aforementioned candidates are expected to be elected unopposed at the board’s Annual General Meeting on October 23.

Moreover, Ganguly and George will have to demit office as chiefs of Cricket Association of Bengal and Kerala Cricket Association respectively after they take charge at BCCI.