Appoint new electoral officer and conduct elections: COA tells MCA

The Committee of Administrators instructed Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to appoint a new electoral officer in place of DN Chaudhari and conduct the state elections by stipulated deadline of September 28.

The MCA had written to the COA seeking directives after former state law Commission chairman Chaudhari refused to accept the electoral officer's post citing that conduct of state unit election would be a "contempt of Supreme Court judgement".

However on Wednesday, the COA in an 11-point reply pointed out that it "respectfully disagrees" with Chaudhari's observations as it is "incorrectly" based on an earlier Supreme Court directive on July 5, 2018

which stated that elections couldn't be held.

Since then, the apex court has approved draft constitution on August 9, 2018 and there is no question of not holding the elections.

Infact, the COA has stated that various state associations like Delhi, Vidarbha and Assam have conducted elections with its approval and there hasn't been any contempt of court.

It has also reminded that MCA despite its commitment is yet to "submit the draft constitution" as per the changes confirming to the Lodha guidelines.

While concluding, the COA has instructed MCA to "consider any other person" for electoral officer's post and conduct the elections by September 28, in order to participate in BCCI AGM on October 22.