Sharda refused to use emergency powers enjoyed by him under Section 11 (4) and (5) of the SGU Act to clear an application by Vadodara-based Trimurti Institute, which sought to set up a Bachelor of Business Administration college in Jambusar town of South Gujarat.

The Academic Council of SGU -- dominated by Hoshang Mirza group -- had already rejected the application twice saying the institute could not meet requirements. But interestingly, the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has already issued viability certificate to the institute.

One of the four government nominees is a trustee of the institute, reason enough for the Mirza group to oppose the application. However, the other group led by Prof Girish Rana has a majority in the Syndicate, the final decision making body.

Since the council had already rejected the application it couldn't be put on the Syndicate agenda. That is where the Rana group wanted Sharda to use his overriding emergency powers.

Triveni Institute's application was rejected by six to eight votes. The V-C and the pro-V-C could have cast their votes to make it 8:8, and Sharda could have used his vote again in case of a tie to clear the application.

But Sharda neither used his vote nor was he ready to use the emergency powers saying ``it was not a fit case.'' The matter came to a flashpoint on Saturday before the start of Syndicate meeting, which was ultimately adjourned to June 11. While Rana and principal Rasesh Shukla left for Vyara following death of Shukla's acquaintance, the V-C and the pro-V-C claimed they were busy.

Rana and his other group members denied reports that they had boycotted the meeting. Syndicate members could not recall any instance of hand whether a Syndicate meeting had ever been adjourned because the V-C was busy.

According to sources, Sharda had no option but to pretend that he was busy as there was little likelihood of the meeting progressing in the absence of the majority group members. Mirza group, however, claimed that the majority group members had boycotted the meeting, while they kept on sitting inside the meeting hall for close to 45 minutes.