Kiran More has taken over as chairman of selectors

Calcutta: Even as the dust settled on the dramatic elections of the BCCI last evening, the annual general meeting was adjourned on Thursday till October 26 (also in the city) to deal with two items on the agenda still pending.

The president-elect Ranbir Singh Mahendra said the two points related to confirmation of the minutes of the special general meeting (SGM) held on September 12 with regard to the patron-in-chief post and the representation of the Board in the ICC, ACC and other meetings.

Jagmohan Dalmiya?s selection by the general body as patron-in-chief at the Chennai SGM (to take over from October 1 after he quit his presidency) had to be ratified at the AGM.

This item on the agenda, however, could not be taken up because of the Chennai city civil court?s stay order that lasts till October 11. The adjournment of the AGM came at 2.30 pm.

[Meanwhile, a local court in Bhopal has fixed October 30 as the next date for hearing a petition challenging legality of a proposal to appoint Dalmiya as patron-in-chief, adds PTI.]

Mahendra said that as per rules the existing set of officer-bearers will continue in their positions till the termination of the AGM. However, he said that he will be acting as president for all practical purposes till the court case is settled.

?The internal arrangement is that the president-elect will discharge the duties of president in the best interests of the Board and of cricket,? Mahendra said.

Even as the AGM got adjourned, and Sharad Pawar and Raj Singh Dungarpur took an early morning flight out of the city, Maharashtra?s Dhyaneshwar Chand Agashe said he was exploring legal options against the Board?s decision not to let him vote.

?The decision was unfair and an act of gross injustice. No objections were raised when I attended two working committee meetings and voted at the special general meet- ing under similar circumstances.

They knew I would vote for Pawar and the move was intentional. Certain members were afraid after my ouster and crossed over to the other group,? he alleged, still fuming.

Among the vice-presidents elected Thursday, only Kamal Morarka (Central) and M. Ranga Reddy (South) have been retained. The new entrants are C.K. Khanna (North), Rajeev Shukla (East) and Chirayu Amin (West).

Former India wicketkeeper Kiran More will be the new chairman of the senior selection committee. Yashpal Sharma replaces Kirti Azad from the North Zone while South?s V.B. Chandrasekhar comes in for Syed Kir- mani. Gopal Sharma is another new inclusion in place of Sanjay Jagdale. Pranab Roy stays from the East.

The Board has also decided to give associate membership status to three new bodies ? Bihar, Chattisgarh and Uttaranchal.

They will not be eligible for first-class matches and will participate till the under-19 level. The evaluation will be done after two years.