The move to oust Indian Olympic Association president N Ramachandran appears to be gathering steam as Badminton Association of India also joined the chorus in demanding a No Confidence Motion against him by calling a Special General Meeting.
BAI President Akhilesh Das Gupta and General Secretary Vijai Sinha shot off a letter to the IOA to convene a Special General Meeting to vote on issue.
"As per Rule VIII (i) and (ii) of IOA Constitution, we Badminton Association of India are moving a vote of no confidence against Mr N Ramachandran, President IOA," the BAI said in the letter addressed to the IOA president, Secretary General and Treasurer.
"We request you to convene the Special General Meeting (SGM) of IOA at the earliest to discuss on the vote of no confidence against Mr N Ramachandran, President IOA," the letter said.
Das Gupta is currently one of the vice-presidents of the IOA.
BAI, thus, joined Hockey India, Bowling Federation of India and Jharkhand Olympic Association in moving a No Confidence Motion against Ramachandran and to call a Special GBM to vote on the issue.
There are also indications that Tripura Olympic Association could join these NSFs and state Olympic units in demanding a No Confidence Motion against Ramachandran, although it is yet to do it officially.
According to the IOA constitution, a No Confidence Motion against the president, secretary general, treasurer and other executive council members can be passed if two-third majority of the members are present and voting.
The quorum for such a meeting will have to be three-fourths of the total strength of the IOA General Body entitled to vote.
A SGM may be convened at any time by IOA president or the Executive Council or on a written requisition signed by presidents and secretaries of not less than 50 per cent member units within one month from the date of receipt by the president of the said requisition.
If the president of IOA fails to convene a meeting, then the requisitionists can convene the meeting under arrangements made directly by them.
The IOA General Body has 183 votes in total -- three each for NSFs and two each for state Olympic bodies.
Image: N Ramachandran
Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
