Wrestling Body Polls On July 4; IOA Appoints Retd Justice Mahesh Mittal As Returning Officer

The elections for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will be held on July 4, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said on Monday.

The IOA has appointed former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mahesh Mittal Kumar as the returning officer for the polls. A communication seeking his acceptance for the role has been sent by the organisation, according to a report in PTI.

"IOA has to take steps forward to conduct elections of the WFI Executive Committee and we are pleased to appoint you as a returning officer to conduct the elections of the WFI. You many consider appointing one assistant returning officer and other staff to assist in conducting the elections," Chaubey said in the letter. He added, "Elections are required to be conducted in the SGM of the WFI called on 4th July and the schedule of the election will be required to be drawn accordingly. We look forward to your confirmation of acceptance and also smooth conduct of elections of the WFI on July 4."

However, Justice Mittal Kumar can decide the date of the SGM and the elections on his own. He has the right to conduct the elections on the said date or can postpone them for a few days.

The development comes days after Sports Minister Anurag Thakur met protesting wrestlers where he assured them of holding the polls by June 30, but this deadline was unlikely to be followed as a 21-day notice is required to call the Special General Meeting (SGM) of the WFI. The polls can be held either at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) or SGM.

Since April 23, the country's top wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have been protesting for the removal of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as the Chief of the wrestlers' body over sexual harassment allegations. They have been demanding the government to arrest him in connection with this issue.

In the June 7 meeting, Thakur had assured the wrestlers that the government will not allow any of the family members or associates of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to contest elections, following which the wrestlers had halted their stir till June 15.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) comprises 25 affiliated units, which include union territories Chandigarh and Delhi. Each state unit has the authority to appoint two representatives, and each representative holds one vote. Thus, the electoral college for the WFI elections will be comprised of 50 votes.

According to the WFI constitution, state units can nominate only those representatives who are members of their respective executive bodies. It remains uncertain what course of action will be taken if eligible candidates associated with Singh decide to submit their nominations for the elections.

In the previous WFI setup, Singh's son Karan served as the vice president and is also affiliated with the UP wrestling association. Additionally, Singh's son-in-law Vishal Singh currently holds the position of president in the Bihar Wrestling Association. Both Karan and Vishal Singh meet the eligibility criteria to participate as representatives of their respective state bodies in the elections.