SC allows BCCI to amend constitution; Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah set to continue as Board President, Secretary

New Delhi, September 14: The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday (September 14) allowed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to amend its constitution, thus paving the way for the continuation of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah for another term of three years.

The Apex Court decision means that the BCCI president, secretary and other office-bearers can continue for two successive terms, and no need to serve a three-year cooling period after just one term.

The earlier service in the state associations too will not be applicable now. Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli observed that “having considered the application, we are of the considered view that the proposed amendment should be accepted, and has stated that the amendment proposed by the amicus is acceptable to the BCCI.”

The earlier constitution of the BCCI had contained the clause that “an office-bearer who has held any post for two consecutive terms either in a state association or in the BCCI (or a combination of both) shall not be eligible to contest any further election without completing a cooling period of three years.”

Now, that has been rendered null and void. Earlier, A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the BCCI, that it would take up the matter along with other matters related to the functioning of the cricket board.

Mehta had earlier told the court that as per earlier orders, the constitution can only be amended with the leave of the court, and hence the cricket body has moved an application in this regard.

The plea of the BCCI seeks to amend its constitution concerning the tenure of its office bearers including its President Sourav Ganguly and Secretary Jay Shah by doing away with the mandatory cooling-off period between tenures of office bearers across state cricket associations and the BCCI.