The "sudden demise" of Board of Control for Cricket in India President Jagmohan Dalmiya has turned the BCCI into a "divided house with the East Zone units deciding to prop up their own candidate, giving a new twist to the intense succession battle," according to the PTI. The East Zone units, "in all likelihood," are going to field Joint Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary of Jharkhand as their candidate for the post of BCCI president. Sharad Pawar and Rajeev Shukla's names are "doing rounds but both the seasoned politicians might not find it easy" to get a proposer and seconder from the Eastern zone, where there are as many as six votes comprising of Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tripura and National Cricket Club. There is "every possibility at this point of time that if Shukla or Pawar throw their hat in the ring, there will be an election and not an unanimous selection." As for Pawar, the former ICC and BCCI supremo is "testing waters currently and would only offer his candidature" if he is sure of at least 16 votes for which he would need government support. In any case, a veteran of electoral politics, Pawar is known to "take decisions after long and hard deliberation." Sources said that former BCCI President N. Srinivasan, who "still has some clout, will have a big role as he controls as many as 10 votes in a total of 30" (PTI, 9/22). In New Delhi, Mohapatra & Laha wrote do not rule out "power play at the cricket board" and Cricket Association of Bengal with political overtones. The "frosty equation" between factions led by Srinivasan and BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur will make the search for Dalmiya's successor "more complex." Ditto at the CAB, where Dalmiya had "kept political players at bay in his long stint as president." Pawar held a meeting with his loyalists in Mumbai, where representatives from Saurashtra, Maharashtra and Vidarbha rallied around his candidature. The group reportedly "strongly backed Pawar" after failing to persuade former BCCI President Shashank Manohar. A source said, "We want someone with stature to be the next board president, and we strongly felt Pawar is the right man. Besides, we will not allow Srinivasan at any cost to take control of the BCCI again." It is "unlikely that the Srinivasan camp will give up without a fight" (HINDUSTAN TIMES, 9/22).
POWER STRUGGLE: The AFP reported veteran cricket commentator Ayaz Memon said that Dalmiya was the "only person" who had been able "to keep a semblance of decorum intact" between rival factions. Memon: "The power struggle will be there between the two powerful factions. The only thing is it will be subterranean rather than out in the open." But cricket writer Vijay Lokapally said there was "no obvious unity candidate." Lokapally said, "It's an unprecedented situation because no sitting BCCI chief has died in office before. I am sure there will be a big tussle now for the position" (AFP, 9/22). CRICBUZZ's Sumit Mukherjee reported the "key to electoral success for any candidate hinges on capturing a lion's share" of the fragmented "BJP votes" in the BCCI. Thakur, who "currently calls the shots" in the BCCI as the secretary, is "one person who can garner all the BJP votes (8) should he choose to throw his hat into the ring." The young BJP functionary was "keen to contest for the BCCI president's post at the March AGM, but had to settle for his present position when the numbers didn't add up" (CRICBUZZ, 9/21). In Dubai, K.R. Nayar reported the "tussle to become the next president" of the BCCI began "within minutes" of the demise of Dalmiya. Who will win the battle, "which is expected to be one of the fiercest ever, will become known in the coming days" (GULF NEWS, 9/22).
