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After a long silence on the issue of N Srinivasan’s resignation as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in the wake of the betting scandal, some state affiliates are slowly coming out to put pressure on him to quit.
Among the 30 BCCI members, the cricket associations of Assam, Goa and Delhi are the latest to have openly asked Srinivasan to step down, The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, headed by Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, was the first to do so. “Every day BCCI members are demanding he quit,” said Chetan Chauhan, member of the Delhi and District Cricket Association. The support of at least 10 of the 30 members is needed to equisition a special general meeting. Since Srinivasan is an elected president, at least two-thirds of the 30 members must vote against him in the said special meeting to remove him. “How can he continue when his son-in-law is involved, he is involved with CSK (Chennai Super Kings, his team, enmeshed in the scam).,” said Shekhar Salkar, vice-president of the Goa Cricket Association.
<B>HC rejects hotelier plea </B><BR>
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However, the more influential associations have either remained silent or have backed Srinivasan. The silent ones include the Gujarat Cricket Association (headed by Chief Minister Narendra Modi), the Rajasthan Cricket Association (run by Union minister C P Joshi, the Saurashtra Cricket Association and the Hyderabad Cricket Association.
“In the interest of fairness, N Srinivasan should step aside till the investigation is on. If it is declared that he did nothing wrong and he is proved innocent, then he can come back as BCCI president,” said Gautam Roy, president, Assam Cricket Association.
Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Bengal Cricket Association, had recently met Srinivasan in Kolkata to discuss the controversy, with several other BCCI members. However, Dalmiya has categorically stated he didn’t ask Srinivasan to resign.
The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association has also not come out against Srinivasan.
