New Delhi, Sept. 20: The Supreme Court today allowed the warring cricket associations of Jharkhand and Bihar to participate and vote in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) elections scheduled next week.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice B.N. Agarwal said representatives of both associations should be permitted to vote separately in the BCCI polls on September 27.

The directive came on a petition by the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) challenging a Jharkhand High Court interim order directing the BCCI to allow the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) to vote in the election.

The board, too, had challenged the interim order.

The bench, however, clarified that the order would be subject to the final outcome of the petition filed by the BCA. It issued a notice to the JSCA, which has been asked to file its response within four weeks.

In its special leave petition, the BCA contended that the September 7 interim order had rendered its petition on the same dispute filed in Madras High Court infructuous.

The court also issued notices on a petition by the BCCI seeking transfer of the case before Jharkhand High Court to Chennai. With the same dispute being adjudicated by different courts, it would be under obligation to follow contrary orders, it said.

Seeking responses from all parties concerned, the court stayed proceedings in cases on the same matter before Jharkhand High Court, Madras High Court and a Patna civil court.

The JSCA, which was formed after the bifurcation of Bihar in November 2000, claimed that it was a full member of the BCCI as the BCA, by a special resolution in August 2004, had renamed itself the Jharkhand State Cricket Association. The BCA denied any such resolution.

With only a full member enjoying voting rights, the BCA — which enjoyed associate membership — moved Madras High Court claiming full membership of the board.

The rivals approached Jharkhand High Court, which passed the impugned order on September 7.

BCA has contended that since it had first filed a petition in Madras High Court, the rivals were not entitled to subsequently file their petition on the same issue in Jharkhand.

BCCI has argued that the membership of the board was not state-wise. While Maharashtra had four votes (Maharashtra, Mumbai and Vidarbha cricket associations and CCI), Gujarat had three votes (Gujarat, Vadodara and Saurashtra).

JSCA chief Amitabh Choudhary described the order as a “major development”. “We have always said the JSCA will go to any extent for getting justice,” he said.