Supreme Court TO Hear BCCI's Petition Regarding The Tenures Of Sourav Ganguly And Jay Shah

The Supreme Court’s decision on the BCCI’s petition may have consequences for Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah’s future as office-bearers.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear the BCCI’s petition for several constitutional amendments on Thursday, which could undo some of the most significant reforms recommended by the RM Lodha Committee and approved by the court in 2018.

A three-judge panel headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana will hear the matter.
The Supreme Court will hear the BCCI’s petition on Thursday for the first time in more than two years. The petition was first submitted in December 2019. In April 2020, the board resubmitted its application, and last week it asked the court to consider it promptly.

The mandatory cooling-off period for office-holders, changing the requirements for holding office, granting the board secretary previously unheard-of powers, and barring the court from having a say if the BCCI wants to change its constitution in the future are some of the major reforms that the BCCI has requested the court to examine.

Sourav Ganguly was elected president of the BCCI:

In October 2019, a new BCCI administration was elected with Sourav Ganguly as president, Jay Shah as secretary, Arun Dhumal as treasurer, and Jayesh George as joint secretary.

Within two months of taking charge, the Ganguly administration moved the court contesting the cooling-off period: it wanted the cooling-off period to come into effect after the office bearer had been in a post for six consecutive years at one place – either a state association or the BCCI but not a combination of both.

At present, all five BCCI office-bearers including vice-president Rajiv Shukla have finished six consecutive years in some office, having earlier served at their respective state associations before becoming BCCI office bearers.

The decision of Justice Dr. DY Chandrachud, one of the court’s most senior judges and a member of this case since 2016, will present a challenge for the current Supreme Court bench, which also includes Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli. They must determine whether to change the 2018 judgment and, if so, on what grounds.

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