According to a PTI report, the family members of the former President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, will not be participating in the upcoming federation elections.
The elections, scheduled for July 6, will decide the positions of president, senior vice-president, four vice-presidents, secretary-general, treasurer, two joint secretaries, and five executive members.
In response to the protesting wrestlers' concerns, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had assured them that Brij Bhushan's family members and associates would not be allowed to contest the elections. As a result, the wrestlers had suspended their protest until June 15.
According to a source close to Brij Bhushan's family, it has been decided that the BJP MP's son Karan Bhushan, who heads the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association, and his son-in-law Aditya Pratap Singh, who heads the Bihar unit, will not file nominations for the WFI elections. The family believes that considering the current circumstances, it would be unwise to do something that exacerbates the controversy.
However, Karan and Aditya will still participate in the elections and exercise their voting rights.
Notably, Brij Bhushan himself is ineligible to compete after completing 12 years as President, and the Sports Code does not allow another term after serving three consecutive stints of four years each.
Concerns had arisen among the wrestlers that even though Brij Bhushan would not hold any official position in the federation, he might exert influence by placing either Karan or Aditya, or both, in key positions.
The former WFI chief, aged 66, has been accused of sexual harassment and intimidation by top wrestlers in the country, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia. The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs against him, and a chargesheet in the case is expected to be filed soon.
While his family members have agreed to step aside, it remains to be seen which of Brij Bhushan's associates will be asked to refrain from participating in the elections. Thakur had stated that the protesting wrestlers would be consulted in the formation of the new executive body.
Om Prakash Dhankar, the BJP's Haryana chief, and NR Choudhary, former Secretary of the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), have expressed interest in contesting the elections. However, it is unlikely that they will participate as they do not hold positions in the executive committee of any state unit, which is a requirement for eligibility.
A total of 25 state units will participate in the elections, with each unit sending two representatives, both of whom will have voting rights. Some units that were dissolved by the WFI earlier, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana, have claimed to be the legitimate state bodies for representation in the elections. The decision on which faction gets to vote will be made by the Returning Officer, Mahesh Mittal Kumar, a retired high court judge.
The deadline for receiving nominations from each state and union territory is June 19, with scrutiny taking place by June 22. The submission of nominations will begin on June 23 and conclude on June 25. The final list of candidates will be published on July 2, following the withdrawal of nominations between June 28 and July 1.
(With PTI inputs)