NEW DELHI: With less than a month to go for elections, Hockey India (HI) has been asked to talk and resolve issues with those states which are yet to yet to merge their men’s and women’s associations for affiliation to HI.

It’s been learnt that so far 25 out of 31 units have been given affiliation with six others yet to join the fold. HI is believed to have been told, at a meeting on Wednesday, to have talks with hockey authorities in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Puducherry and Rajasthan to resolve issues and get them affiliated at the earliest.

As for Kerala, where the case is entangled in a legal battle, the sports ministry may go to court and request it to authorise someone to participate in the election process.

Sources said that though the merger in Punjab has been completed, certain issues are yet to be resolved before it gets affiliated. “As far as the Punjab issue is concerned, there are some complaints that the merger was not proper. Furthermore, it’s claimed that the new president, SS Badal, was not even present during the meeting to elect the officials,” sources said. “Now, it has been decided that the review committee will look into it and resolve the matter within the next three to four days.”

It’s also learnt that at Wednesday’s meeting, there was resistance to government observer SK Mendiratta’s suggestions over the election process. HI has been told to satisfy the observer from the procedural point of view. HI was also told to ensure that no tainted officials are appointed in HI, that there should be 25 per cent representation of sportspersons in the body and that they should stick to the 3.6 clause of the sports ministry’s guidelines for national federations which bar office bearers of one federation from assuming charge in another federation, except the Indian Olympic Association.