KSCA elections pushed to December 30 amid legal confusion

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections, originally scheduled for November 30, have been pushed to December 30 after electoral officer Dr. B. Basavaraju (Retd. IAS) deferred the process citing an active court injunction and a lack of clarity from the association's Managing Committee.

In a letter dated November 17, Dr. Basavaraju said he had written to the KSCA on November 14 and 15 seeking compliance on specific queries related to the election process, but received a reply only on Monday morning, along with attachments that did not adequately address the pending issues.

He noted that the injunction issued by the Hon'ble Trial Court in O.S. No. 7680/2025 remains in force, with the next hearing scheduled for December 16. Until the court provides clear direction and the internal confusion among members is resolved lawfully, he wrote, it would not be appropriate or fair to continue with the election process. The electoral officer emphasised his responsibility to conduct a free, fair and legally compliant election and said he was "constrained" to defer the process until December 30 in light of the unresolved legal and administrative concerns.

The postponement has triggered sharp reactions from Venkatesh Prasad, who is contesting for the KSCA presidency with the backing of several former India cricketers. Prasad said he was "stunned" by the deferment and expressed his disappointment over what he described as an abrupt and unexpected development.

Prasad reiterated that his group had no issues with the Election Commission and respected its decisions, but the postponement had arrived without warning. "We were stunned to learn that the elections have been deferred to 30 December. The primary focus here should be cricket, not politics. We are not participating for political reasons. Our sole objective is to revive top-level cricket at Chinnaswamy Stadium, to bring back international matches and IPL fixtures. That is our mission," he said.

"To make this possible, these elections must take place. That is the natural course of action. KSCA is at a pivotal juncture and needs change. Cricket is suffering right now, and the season is already underway. It is vital for elections to proceed so that a fresh committee can implement its vision. We have no issues with the Election Commission and fully respect their decisions. However, this postponement has come as a complete surprise."

Vinay Mruthyunjaya, the former treasurer of KSCA who is running for the secretary's position as part of Prasad's group, laid the responsibility for the delay squarely with the managing committee. "The responsibility to conduct elections rests squarely with the Managing Committee. They are directly accountable for this delay. The Electoral Officer sent two letters to the Managing Committee on the 14th and 15th, but received no reply until today - only this morning did he get a response. There has been a total lack of cooperation from the Managing Committee," he said.

"I place responsibility entirely on the Managing Committee. The confusion has been orchestrated, leading to this outcome. We urge all KSCA members to take this issue seriously and demand an end to this undemocratic approach to governance," he added.

The KSCA sought to clarify its own position. In an official communication, CEO Shubhendu Ghosh said long-time KSCA member A.V. Shashidara had obtained an interim order from the Trial Court "ex parte", without the association being heard. "KSCA had filed a writ petition in the Hon'ble High Court seeking to set aside the orders passed ex parte by the City Civil Court in O.S. 7680/2025," he said.

According to the KSCA, the interim order secured by Shashidara had led the electoral officer to halt the election process through his latest correspondence. "The Hon'ble High Court today morning has set aside the above interim order," he stated, adding that the association had written to the electoral officer requesting withdrawal of the deferment letter. Ghosh expressed hope that the election would proceed as per the previously announced calendar, with only a modification in the scrutiny date. "KSCA is committed to have the elections conducted in accordance with directions of the division bench of the High Court," he said.

This prompted a detailed response from Shashidara, who issued a clarification countering the KSCA's version of events. Shashidara said the association was incorrectly portraying the situation as if the court had stayed the elections, which he called "far from the truth".

He stated that he had filed a civil suit on November 3 challenging the Managing Committee's "illegal" and "last-minute" interpretation of the nine-year term rule. "This new interpretation, arrived at through illegal means, is contrary to the judgments/orders of the Supreme Court of India, the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka, and registered Bye-Laws," he said, adding that three previous elections had already been conducted under the existing interpretation.

Shashidara emphasised that he had never sought a stay on the elections. "It is important to clarify that there is no prayer in the suit for postponement of the forthcoming elections. The subject matter of my filing is limited solely to the incorrect and illegal interpretation sought to be made by the Managing Committee," he said.

He pointed out that the Civil Court's interim order dated November 5 merely stayed the circulation or use of the Legal Advisory Committee minutes, not the conduct of the elections themselves. "The Court did not impose any stay on the conduct of elections," he said.

He added that despite being informed of the order on November 5, the KSCA "went ahead and circulated an affidavit in the AGM book" on November 7, continuing to rely on what he called an "illegally obtained interpretation". The KSCA later challenged the interim order in the High Court, which set aside the stay on Monday but made no comments on the merits of the issue.

Shashidara also highlighted that a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court had directed the KSCA on November 10 to proceed with the elections as scheduled. "None of the parties, including the KSCA, submitted before the Hon'ble Court that there is a stay on the election, as the elections were not stayed," he said, adding that the association's decision to postpone the polls was therefore unrelated to his suit.

"Instead of complying with the Court's direction to proceed with elections as per the existing by-laws, the KSCA has chosen to postpone the elections without any valid or lawful reason," Shashidara said. "As a long-standing member of the KSCA committed to upholding fair governance and respect for judicial directions, it is regrettable to witness such disregard for the court's order and established association norms."