Jagmohan Dalmiya top contender for BCCI president post

With ICC chief N Srinivasan assuring the Supreme Court of India that he will not contest BCCI elections to be held on 2nd March 2015, veteran administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya has emerged as a strong contender from the Srinivasan camp for the post of President.

Dalmiya, President of Cricket Association of Bengal, controls two votes from East Zone and has emerged as a top candidate for the President's post since no other name was unanimously acceptable to all the units loyal to Srinivasan. Dalmiya was made interim chief of the BCCI after Srinivasan was ordered to step aside from the post in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal in 2013.

The loyalists of Srinivasan, who met on Saturday ahead of the much-awaited Annual General Meeting (AGM), have not decided the other panel members as yet. "As of now, only Dalmiya's name has emerged as a frontrunner for BCCI President's post. No other name for other positions has been finalised yet," a top BCCI official told PTI.

It is East Zone's turn to nominate a President and it is still not clear whether the rival faction, led by MCA president Sharad Pawar, has been able to break any of the six East Zone units who have been loyal to Srinivasan.

Pawar, who has been projected as possible candidate for the president's post, flew into the city this evening and was closeted in a meeting with his supporters. Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar also arrived for the AGM. It is still not clear whether Pawar will contest the elections. He is likely to plunge into the fray only if his group can cobble up enough numbers to win the polls.

The Pawar-led camp, which had requested the Prime Minister of India's intervention in the BCCI elections, has reportedly convinced Pawar to represent the Mumbai Cricket Association in the BCCI AGM with an official confirmation of the same supposedly having already been sent to the board.