The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called an urgent meeting of its Apex Council to appoint former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Achal Kumar Jyoti as the electoral officer, as per reports.
This is for the upcoming elections for the vacant positions of Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer. These positions were recently vacated following Jay Shah’s appointment as the ICC Chairman on December 1, and Ashish Shelar’s new role as a Cabinet Minister in Maharashtra’s government.
Read more: Ashish Shelar steps down as BCCI treasurer after taking Cabinet Minister oath in Maharashtra
According to BCCI’s constitutional guidelines, a Special General Meeting (SGM) must be convened within 45 days of an officer-bearer’s resignation to elect a successor, the report added.
Additionally, the board is required to appoint an electoral officer at least four weeks prior to the election.
In line with this requirement, the board has proposed the appointment of Jyoti, a retired IAS officer from the 1975 Gujarat cadre, who served as India’s Chief Election Commissioner from July 2017 to January 2018.
At present, Assam’s Devajit Saikia is performing the duties of the interim Secretary, while the Treasurer’s position remains vacant.
Meanwhile, the BCCI’s financial health continues to impress. The board’s bank balance surged by approximately Rs 4,200 crore this year, bringing its total reserves to an astonishing Rs 20,686 crore.
A significant portion of the BCCI’s income stems from IPL media rights and bilateral cricket rights, alongside revenue generated from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Read more: BCCI considers Saudi Arabia for IPL mega auction venue
The IPL media rights deal, struck in June 2022, brought in an extraordinary Rs 48,390 crore for a five-year period. The BCCI’s financial statement for FY2024 highlights a substantial increase in earnings, with the board’s income growing from Rs 16,493 crore in FY2023 to Rs 20,686 crore.
In FY2023-24, the BCCI exceeded its revenue projections, earning Rs 8,995 crore instead of the projected Rs 7,476 crore.