CHENNAI, NOV 5: The Madras High Court has appointed senior advocate R Gandhi as an observer to the 68th annual general body meeting (AGM) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be held here on Thursday.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice MS Liberhan and Justice D Raju, which appointed the observer on Tuesday, directed him to report the proceedings of the meeting in the court. The respondents -- BCCI through its secretary and Raj Singh Dungarpur, president -- should permit the observer to discharge his duties and show to him any document or anything required by him, the judges said.

The bench was passing interim orders on a petition from Phalguni Matilal of Delhi, a Railway employee, who had attended and actively participated in various board meetings of the BCCI, since the Indian Railways Sports Control Board was a member association of the BCCI.

PTI adds: Meanwhile, the infighting amongst the 30-member BCCI, the richest sports body in the country, reached a feverish pitch on the eve of the AGM and election meeting.

The meet would also discuss the report of former Chief Justice YV Chandrachud on the alleged involvement of players in match fixing and betting.

With the two warring groups claiming majority, the BCCI elections would be held for the posts of president, five vice presidents, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer besides the national senior and junior selection committees.

The three institutional votes from the Railway Sports Control Board, Services Sports Control Board and the Inter University Sports Board of India are said to be the deciding factors.

Having hurled charges and counter charges against each other, the two groups, one supporting the continuance of Raj Singh Dungarpur as the BCCI president and the other fielding DC Agashe against Raj Singh, have claimed majority for their sides with 17 to 19 votes each.

However, IS Bindra, a former president of the BCCI, who is in the city to participate in the elections on behalf of Punjab Cricket Association, told PTI that he is here only to express his observations to the members on the amendments to the constitution of the International Cricket Council.

Though both Dalmiya and Bindra are not in the fray for any position in the BCCI elections, members of one group, who do not want to be identified, told PTI ``We are against Dalmiya for his double standards and we are against his nomination to ICC.''Bindra said, ``I would totally oppose destabilising the presidency in ICC even if anyone from our group proposes for it as the post has been allotted to India and not to Dalmiya.''

When asked to give his opinion on the number of votes that his supporter, Raj Singh would collect, Dalmiya said, ``It is foolish for anyone to say he has 17 or 19 votes as the board elections are held in a democratic manner through secret ballot.''

``The very purpose of democracy will be lost and it should be left to the wisdom of the members to select and elect their candidates with the game being uppermost in their minds,'' he said.

Agashe, the presidential candidate said that the ``Board's working should be transparent and democratic'' and there should not be any problem like what happened in the September 21 last meeting as they have come well prepared. However, Bindra said, ``still, they could, through the chairman of the meeting, do anything to deny them the right to participate and vote.''

According to Agashe, he has the support of 18 or 19 votes minimum and there would not be less than 18 votes for him.The 55-year old businessman from Pune said ``We will put up candidates for all posts in the election and that he would be a candidate for the president post from Vidharbha Cricket Association, which come under Central Zone.

For the first time in the history of BCCI elections both Raj Singh and Agashe are contesting for the supreme post through ``sister associations'' and not from the place they hail from.Agashe said that Sunil Dev is contesting for the post of BCCI secretary, MK Bhargava for joint secretary and Niranjan Shah for treasurer, besides five vice presidential candidates.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.