Kalyan Chaubey is new AIFF President, defeats Bhaichung Bhutia 33-1 in the elections

New Delhi, September 2: Kalyan Chaubey, the former Indian footballer, on Friday (September 2) has been elected as the new president of All India Football Federation (AIFF).

In the AIFF elections held on Friday, Chaubey beat former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia 33-1, an overwhelming margin.

Chaubey has always been ahead in the race between the two former Indian football stars and it reflected in the poll results as well.

While Bhutia's candidature has got the election more traction than it would have got if he was not in fray, Chaubey, also 45, has always been the front-runner for the top job with backing from politically important state associations like Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh.

To put it on record, Chaubey is a BJP leader from West Bengal and there would be no marks for guessing that he does enjoy a fair amount of political currency, which is a must in these kind of sports body polls.

There has been a lot of noise as Chaubey is believed to have the "blessings" of one of the most influential political heavyweights from the North East with active interest in Indian sports.

And many people connected to Indian football see this as the reason why Bhutia's home state association Sikkim isn't supporting his candidature.

Elections to the other two top posts -- general secretary and treasurer -- will also see straight fights between two candidates.

Rajasthan Football Association president Manvendra Singh, a Congress politician (also son of former defence minister Yashwant Singh of BJP), entered the fray against N A Haris for the lone vicepresident's post.

Haris is the president of Karnataka FA and a sitting Congress MLA from the state. Manvendra's state association had seconded the candidature of Bhutia.

Andhra Pradesh state association president Gopalakrishna Kosaraju and Kipa Ajay of Arunachal Pradesh are the two candidates in the fray for the treasurer's post.

The new AIFF dispensation will have lots on its plate, the foremost task among them being the smooth conduct of the FIFA Women's U-17 World Cup in October.