Dalmiya's administrative career hangs in balance

KOLKATA: Jagmohan Dalmiya's career as cricket administrator faces a crucial test when Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) decides on whether he should seek reelection as its President at an emergency general meeting here on Sunday.

The meeting called by the ruling lobby in the backdrop of a request from West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee to Dalmiya that he should stay away from the polls, could be stormy if the issue of the BCCI deciding to withhold all subsidies and payments to the CAB is raised.

But the anti-Dalmiya faction, which has nominated city Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee as its candidate for the top CAB post, said it was not sure whether the latest salvo from the BCCI - that came in the form of a letter from Secretary Niranjan Shah - would at all come up for discussion.

"As per the notice given for the meeting, it has been convened with the sole agendum of discussing Bhattacharjee's request. If Dalmiya sticks to it, then there is all the likelihood of this issue not coming up. But if he deviates, then it may be deliberated upon," said a dissident group source.

Several leading lights of the dissident group, including Mukherjee, Raja Venkat, Samar Pal and Swapan Mukherjee, would attend the meeting.