Punjab and Haryana HC stays Saturday's WFI polls

As per rules and the constitution of the WFI, any registered affiliated body can send two representatives to cast their votes for the WFI polls, HWA advocate said. He further said Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association has claimed that it was affiliated with the WFI as well as Haryana Olympic Association.

Chandigarh:The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday stayed the much-anticipated Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections till further orders. The WFI election was scheduled to be held on August 12. Now, the next hearing will be held on August 28 over the matter.

There is a dispute between two groups in Haryana regarding the election, Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association is affiliated with the Wrestling Federation of India, though it is not affiliated with the State Olympic Association, it has been given voting rights by the Wrestling Federation of India. On the other hand, Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA), headed by Member of Parliament Deepinder Hooda, is registered by both, WFI and State Olympic Association, but it has not been given voting rights.

Following which Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA) filed a petition in the court, challenging the move to allow Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association to cast votes in the WFI polls. Haryana Wrestling Association advocate Ravinder Malik said the HWA is a registered society in the state and is affiliated with the WFI. Ravinder Malik further said Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association claimed that it was affiliated with the WFI as well as Haryana Olympic Association. Any registered affiliated body can send two representatives to cast their votes for the WFI polls as per WFI rules, he stated.

"We have challenged the returning officer's order in the HC, saying that the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association may be affiliated with the WFI but it is not affiliated with the HOA, meaning they are not entitled to participate in the poll process," said Malik, representing HWA. "In case, Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association is allowed to participate in the election process, then it will cause prejudice as well as the WFI elections will be illegal," he said.

Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association claimed that the HWA has no business to participate in the election process because it is not affiliated with the WFI. "The returning officer has given the finding in favour of Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association, saying they fulfil the condition of affiliation with WFI as well as Haryana Olympic Association," said the advocate.

"We have challenged the returning officer's order in the HC, saying that the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association may be affiliated with the WFI but it is not affiliated with the HOA, meaning they are not entitled to participate in the poll process," said Malik, representing HWA. "In case, Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association is allowed to participate in the election process, then it will cause prejudice as well as the WFI elections will be illegal," said advocate Ravinder Malik.

Satyapal Jain, Additional Solicitor General of the Government of India, said, "When the stay order of the High Court comes, everything will be cleared.Two groups are facing issue regarding the elections. One is saying that we are the right representative. While the other group has already been given the right."

The matter was argued in the court on August 3, 7 and 8. The High Court will take up the next hearing on August 28 and the court stayed the polls till further orders. Satyapal Jain said that the Government of India has nothing to do in this matter.

Earlier, the election was slated to be held on July 11, but then the Gauhati High Court stayed the election after hearing the petition of the Assam Wrestling Association. Following the Gauhati High Court's order, the Indian Olympic Association's ad-hoc committee had included the Assam Wrestling Association in the list of voters. After which the date of voting was fixed on August 12, but now it has also been put on hold.

Wrestling Federation of India elections will be held for the posts of President, Senior Vice-President , Vice-President, General Secretary, Treasurer, Joint Secretary and Executive Member. Rohtas Singh (Haryana), the candidate for the post of Joint Secretary, has reportedly left the Brij Bhushan faction and joined the opposition camp. (With PTI Inputs)