Football administrator and entrepreneur Ranjit Bajaj has approached the court seeking urgent intervention over the delay in elections to the Executive Committee of the All India Football Federation, arguing that there is no basis for putting the electoral process on hold.
Bajaj has sought directions for the AIFF to immediately announce its election schedule and complete the entire process, including the declaration of results, within a time-bound period fixed by the court.
The legal challenge comes as the AIFF prepares to transition to a new electoral framework under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, a process that has led to the federation deferring its elections.
However, Bajaj has argued that the AIFF’s own constitutional alignment is already complete and that further delays are unwarranted.
COURT PUSH FOR ELECTIONS
In his writ petition, as per PTI, Bajaj has sought a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate direction asking the AIFF to hold elections strictly in accordance with its Constitution and the National Sports Governance Act.
He has also asked the court to ensure that the electoral process is completed within a clearly defined timeframe.
The petition goes a step further by seeking interim restrictions on the existing AIFF Executive Committee. Bajaj has urged the court to prevent the current body from taking major policy, financial or other decisions that could have long-term or irreversible consequences for the federation until fresh elections are held.
The plea also seeks any other relief the court may consider appropriate.
At the heart of Bajaj’s challenge is the question of whether the AIFF can continue to defer its elections while the wider process of aligning football’s state associations with the new governance framework remains underway.
STATE ALIGNMENT QUESTIONED
Bajaj’s petition argues that the alignment of state associations should not become a condition for holding elections to the national body.
He has relied on the court’s July 17 order in the All India Tennis Association case, contending that compliance by state associations cannot be treated as a prerequisite for conducting elections to a national sports federation.
According to Bajaj’s argument, the AIFF has already adopted a Constitution compliant with the National Sports Governance Act and completed the necessary constitutional alignment at the national level.
The newly elected Executive Committee, he argues, can subsequently oversee the process of bringing state associations in line with the new framework.
The petition, therefore, directly challenges the AIFF’s decision to wait before beginning its electoral process.
Bajaj has urged the court to direct the federation to notify the election schedule at the earliest and bring an end to the uncertainty surrounding its leadership.
The case could now have significant implications for Indian football’s governing structure, particularly as the AIFF navigates the transition to the National Sports Governance Act while questions continue to surround the timing of its next elections.
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