Dalmiya pads up for BCCI match, calls on umpire

With three days to go for the BCCI elections, the action is hotting up with the ruling group's leader Jagmohan Dalmiya holding parleys with the Supreme Court appointed election observer TS Krishnamurthy today.

Emerging from a two-hour meeting, Dalmiya said he had given his side of the story on some rulings given by the former chief election commissioner on the voting rights of some affiliated units and the reduction in the number of votes given by the BCCI president. "I have discussed my views on a few points," Dalmiya said.

With opposition group bigwig IS Bindra and other members of his coterie set to arrive in the city tomorrow, the drama surrounding the elections of the country's richest sports body is set to get more intense.

Leading lights of the ruling group""Dalmiya, BCCI chief RS Mahendra, secretary SK Nair, joint secretary Goutam Dasgupta and NCA director Brijesh Patel""have gathered in the city and held a series of meetings to devise a poll strategy.

A BCCI official said a list of representatives had been sent to Krishnamurthy who would scrutinise it tomorrow.

Though the challengers have named Sharad Pawar as their candidate as a nominee of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, the ruling group said that they would announce the names of its candidates tomorrow.

Krishnamurthy, however, refused to give details of his interaction with Dalmiya. "I want to hear everybody. And then I will decide. He wanted to discuss certain things with me and came to meet me."

Dalmiya said Krishnamurthy asked him to give his submissions in writing. "I am going to do so by tomorrow."

The former board chief, who is also the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, was accompanied by Boria Majumdar. Dalmiya said he had presented to Krishnamurthy historical facts about the old Bihar Cricket Association.

The ruling group had given affiliation to the newly formed Jharkhand Cricket Association after the bifurcation of Bihar, but two days ago Krishnamurthy had held that the old Bihar Cricket Association, established in 1935, had the right to vote.

This effectively meant a 'no' for JCA's voting right.

Dalmiya said he had taken majumdar along as he had extensively researched the game's socical history and was conversant with the controversy surrounding the voting rights pertaining to Bihar and Jharkhand.

Dalmiya said "i am happy. He (Krishnamurthy) gave me a patient hearing. But whether he is convinced, i can't say."

On the next step by his group, Dalmiya said "let the decisions come. Let's see the arguments. Then we'll decide."

Dalmiya said he also discussed with krishnamurthy his recent ruling cutting down the number of votes the bcci president could cast.

So far, the BCCI president could vote for his association and cast an additional vote by virtue of his post. He was also empowered to give a casting vote in case of a tie.