BJP bids to take over Gujarat Cricket Association

Ahmedabad, Mar 26 (UNI) The ruling BJP government has made a bid to take control over the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) by moving a ''no confidence motion'' against the Central Board of Cricket (CBC), Ahmedabad.

Speaking about the no confidence motion, senior CBC member and noted coach Ashok Saheeba said, ''CBC is primary body of GCA and our ultimate aim is to take control over the principal body (GCA) headed by BCCI Vice President and Senior Congress leader Narhari Amin. We want to make Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, who is being considered as confidant of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the new president of the GCA.'' A total of 119 members out of 179 voting members have signed the motion expressing no confidence in function of the Association, Mr Saheeba added.

Mr Saheeba alleged that lots of irregularities, including favouritism to certain players, had been meted out in Gujarat.

GCA's Hitesh Patel claimed that the allegations raised by Mr Saheeba were totally false and baseless and added that CBC still enjoyed the confidence of 140 members of total 230 members, including 50 doner members.

However, Mr Shah's group has claimed that these 50 doner members have no voting rights in CBC.

Mr Patel said claims of the support of 119 members by Mr Shah's group were not factual as some of them had informed him that they made signatures under political pressure and compulsion.

He said, ''Some signatures are not matching with originals and some even have duplications as they have made signatures in favour of us too.'' When asked, Mr Patel refused to say when the voting for Confidence motion will take place. However, Mr Shah's group claimed that as per the CBC constitution the voting should be made within three weeks.

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