Rival factions of Indian Golf Union to hold separate elections on Sunday

The Indian Golf Union (IGU) will witness two separate elections being conducted on Sunday with different electoral rolls and returning officers as infighting reaches a new level in the controversy-ridden national federation.

The elections by two rival factions of the IGU will be led by the federation president Brijinder Singh and the other by its Secretary General Harish Shetty.

The elections called by the Brijinder faction will be held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi and conducted by Justice (retd) Rameshwar Singh Malik who has been allowed by the Delhi High Court to conduct the elections as Returning Officer (RO).

Brijinder is likely to be declared the winner as president by Justice (retd) Malik as he is the only contestant for the top post, while Satish Kumar and Sanjeev Rattan were also the only contestants for secretary and treasurer posts, respectively.

Justice (retd) Malik, the third appointee after Justice (retd) OP Garg and Justice (retd) Permod Kohli, had already quashed the need to conduct the elections since there was only one contestant for each post.

On the other hand, Shetty will be elected president with Basant Kumar Repswal as secretary general in the elections being conducted by the rival faction on Sunday.

What is interesting in the IGU election saga is that Shetty's faction will hold the elective AGM at the Olympic Bhavan - the headquarters of the Indian Olympic Association - with Justice (retd) Garg as Returning Officer.