Chennai: The power struggle in the All India Chess Federation (AICF) has finally generated a split in the country?s top chess body.

An acrimonious special general body meeting here saw AICF?s sitting secretary P.T. Ummer Koya and his group claiming that they had dethroned president N. Srinivasan and elected their own set of office bearers.

Koya supporters met soon after the meeting and announced that they had elected S. L. Harsh as president in place of Srinivasan.

At the meeting proper, members cleared the nomination of D. V. Sundar and N. K. Mishra as secretary and treasurer of the AICF in place of Koya and Soumen Majumdar, who were restrained by a Madras High Court interim order from interfering in the day-to-day activities of the federation. However, the nomination of Sundar and Mishra also need clearance from the court.

But hours after this meeting, 25 of the 60 voting members of the AICF held another meeting and moved a no-confidence motion against president Srinivasan and his team and decided to replace the office bearers. This faction also passed a resolution expressing confidence in Koya and Majumdar but still decided to elect two new members for the post in the wake of the high court order.

Later speaking to reporters, Harsh said that P. K. Bhaskaran (secretary) and V. R. Bobba (treasurer) would take charge shortly.

Harsh said they have also decided to file an impleading petition in support of the cause of Koya in the case pending before the Madras High Court.

At the special general body meeting Koya supporters tried to stall proceedings on many occasions, but president Srinivasan remained firm. (PTI)