Amid hectic lobbying with BCCI, Farooq returns with "support" of Srinivasan's lobby and a BJP Minister

◆Imran Ansari too lobbying in New Delhi

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
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SRINAGAR, Jul 22: An influential cricket coterie loyal to the former President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Narayanaswami Srinivasan is understood to have assured "full support" to the Farooq Abdullah-led body of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) elected for a term of three years in 2014 but toppled through a controversial meeting of the Working Committee and mid-term election on last Monday.

During his two-day stay in New Delhi, Dr Abdullah is understood to have met a number of his old contacts in BCCI besides a Union Cabinet Minister who, according to highly placed sources, assured the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister that BCCI would continue to recognise only the body of the working committee and office bearers who have been elected in May 2014.

N. Srinivasan, the former BCCI President who landed into a controversy on account of the activities of his son-in-law last year, continues to be the most influential person in the Indian cricket world. He is also currently Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and was, in June 2015, reelected as President of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) contrary to many speculations. Sources revealed to STATE TIMES on Wednesday that Srinivasan and his strong lobby in BCCI have assured "total support" to Dr Abdullah.

Equally significant is the support a senior BJP leader and Cabinet Minister, who is also an important functionary of BCCI, has reportedly lent to Dr Abdullah when the two met in New Delhi the other day.

BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmia, Joint Secretary Amitabh Choudhary and Treasurer Anirudh Choudhary are some of very important people of Srinivasan's coterie.

Both the contenders for the top position of the President in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA)---former Chief Minister and the opposition National Conference supremo Dr Farooq Abdullah and the ruling PDP leader and Minister incharge Sports Imran Raza Ansari---have started intense lobbying to win the recognition of the BCCI.

While as Ansari had been installed by a dissident group with visible support of the Mufti Sayeed government as President through a disputed election on Monday, Dr Abdullah on Tuesday claimed to have captured back headquarters of JKCA as a civil court in Jammu had put the Minister's election in abeyance. He held a press conference at the same place where the Minister had taken control of the association a day before.

Both, Dr Abdullah and Ansari, left for New Delhi on Tuesday ostensibly to pursue their routine schedules. While as Dr Abdullah was to be the guest of honour at a function where the former RAW chief A.S. Dulat's book "Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years" was to be released on Wednesday, Ansari was to attend a diplomatic dinner hosted by the American embassy.

Dr Abdullah returned to Srinagar in the afternoon today while as Mr Ansari would be returning tomorrow. However, there is a possibility of his staying in New Delhi for one or two more days as Thursday's Cabinet meeting in Srinagar has been cancelled.

Sources in New Delhi said that Monday's controversial election of JKCA, in which a government-controlled group of the Working Committee toppled Dr Abdullah and installed the Minister of Sports Imran Raza Ansari as the new President, had already become an issue of prestige for the Mufti establishment that, according to another PDP Minister, would leave "no stone unturned to influence the BCCI through the coalition partner BJP so that Ansari's election as President is protected".

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