Top Cop calls Dalmiya an 'institution', announces a face-off

Kolkata, Jun 18 (UNI)City Police Commissioner Prashun Mukherjee today sounded the bugle for the CAB elections, officially announcing his candidature for the president's post, prasing his opponent Jagmohan Dalmiya as an 'institution' by himself.

Addressing the media at a brief press meet here, Mr Mukherjee said, ''There were speculations in the media whether I would contest the CAB elections or not. I would like to end that by making it official that I am a candidate for the CAB President's post in the forthcoming elections.'' ''Though the dates have not been announced for the AGM and elections, traditionally it's held in July. So we hope that it would be sometime mid-July this year also. And unlike other years we are going to give a full panel consisting four vice-presidents, treasurer and two joint-secretaries, names of whom would be announced soon,'' he said.

Asked if he thought it would be easy to challenge Mr Dalmiya on his home turf, he said, ''I have no issues against Mr Dalmiya. He is an institution in cricket administration. He has reached the heights of cricket adminsitration that can only be imagined, from being the CAB president, to BCCI President to ICC Chairman. But all good things have to come to an end.'' ''There has to be a successor. I am looking at succeeding him.

Others should also get a chance. I am not here to cast any aspersion against him,'' he said.

SPORTS-CRICKET-MUKHERJEE-DALMIYA TWO LAST KOLKATA Mr Mukherjee further clarified that after an 'unofficial survey' during which he talked to a majority of the 121 affiliates of the CAB, he had come to the conclusion that there was an air of discontent and a craving for change. ''I am here to bring that change,'' he said.

Mr Mukherjee, while refusing to divulge the rest of their panelists, said, ''I can say one thing that there would be more cricketers in cricket administration. For long I have heard that there are no cricketers in administration of cricket. This will end.'' On whether he had Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's support, he said, ''I can't drop names like that. It will be better if you ask Mr Chief Minister.'' He also politely skirted the querry on whether Snehashis Ganguly and Sourav Ganguly were with the dissident group. ''Sourav is a brand name and I hope he is with us,'' he said.

Mr Mukherjee also made it clear that he had been talking to the widest cross-section of people in the CAB regarding the elections and it did not exclude the legendary B N Dutta, known to be Mr Dalmiya's mentor.

Asked which club would he represent, he said, ''In this case I am pampered for choice. There are three clubs Calcutta Police Club, West Bengal Police Association and Police Athletic Club. But in all probability I will be standing from Police Athletic Club.'' The dissident group looks quietly confident this time round having garnered the support, though unofficially, of the state government as State Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharjee has openly canvasssed for a change.

The opposition is also said to have a tacit support from the BCCI.

Things won't be easy for Mr Dalmiya, who for the last several months, has been tangled in legal wrangles. The ruling faction has, however, maintained a stoic silence even as the opposition built the momentum for the elections.

UNI