Bangalore: The Karnataka State Hockey Association (KSHA) witnessed the first streaks of defiance ahead of the election on Sunday, with two members alleging irregularities during the lead-up to the poll.

The annual general meeting of the KSHA will decide on the morrow whether the quadrennial poll ought to be held or not after members Madhavdas Aildas and Nagabhushan — who are in the race for the posts of vice-president and joint secretary — sought its postponement.

Aildas alleged in a press release that returning officer PR Hegde was not present in Bangalore between November 17 and 28 and in his absence, KSHA secretary K Krishnamurthy had received the nominations and withdrawal lists of candidates before announcing the names of those in the fray.

According to Aildas, this was a serious lapse in procedure. He also quoted the KSHA’s legal advisor KS Ponnappa as saying that “in the given situation, election cannot be held on Sunday and had to be postponed to another date.”

Reacting to the allegations, Krishnamurthy said Hegde had to leave Bangalore on official duty during the days when he was required to carry out the election duties.

“The returning officer gave a letter authorising me to scrutinise the forms and publicize valid nominations. He also said that he would address any protest or objection once he returned on October 28. In fact, the day he landed in Bangalore, he went through the nominations and found nothing wrong,” Krishnamurthy said.

The first signs of protest surfaced on December 3, when Hegde had a meeting with the candidates. The following day, an emergency meeting of the association’s executive council sought the opinion of legal experts whether the election had to be put off. “The experts felt that as no candidacy had been rejected, nobody was denied voting rights and no prejudice was shown in the run-up, elections could to be held on time.”

However, to prove that their intentions were indeed noble, members of the executive council, who were present on Saturday, unanimously decided that they would put forward the entire issue before the AGM on Sunday and seek its direction on the election. “The executive council is united on this issue. We will abide by what the AGM says. If it wants the election to be postponed, then so be it. We don’t want to force things tomorrow.”

Krishnamurthy said he didn’t genuinely understand the lapse when it was pointed out to him that he had played the returning officer’s role for a while. “I don’t know whether I have erred. That is exactly why I want the AGM to take the final decision tomorrow. I want the election to be free and fair and take place in complete harmony,” he said.

The AGM comprises 84 affiliated units and 700 life members. One-third of the units and 10 per cent of the life members would be enough for a quorum.

Meanwhile, former India captain MP Ganesh retired from the vice-president’s race citing personal reasons.

TIMES NEWS NETWORK