With Shashi Tharoor the first casualty of the controversy that’s wracked the Indian Premier League, the screws are now tightening on IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.
Senior members of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the BCCI governing council will meet on April 26 to admit a proposal to withdraw all powers enjoyed by Modi.
Besides being the commissioner and chairman of the IPL?a prized sports-cum-entertainment event he conceived and launched two years ago?Modi is also a member of the working committee and the chairman of the tour, programme and fixture committee of BCCI.
According to BCCI insiders, the governing council is expected to decide on a proposal to ask Modi to resign from all posts he holds on the board, failing which a meeting of the BCCI working committee will be convened on May 2 to propose his removal.
While Modi did not respond to phone calls, BCCI president Shashank Manohar was not available for comment.
“The removal of a member can be decided only through an annual general meeting (AGM). In case Modi doesn’t step down on his own, the working committee will subsequently convene an AGM for voting on the proposal,” said a senior BCCI member, requesting anonymity.
The general body includes the board president, 25 regional cricket associations, three government boards, including the services, university and the railways boards, and the Mumbai and the Kolkata cricket clubs.
The body needs a two-thirds majority to pass a resolution.
Before the governing council meeting, some top BCCI officials are also likely to hold a meeting with IPL franchise owners on April 23. This, however, couldn’t be independently ascertained with any of the team owners. Meanwhile, Modi has not been invited to this meeting, according to insiders.
The April 23 meeting, if it happens, will coincide with IPL awards to be held in Mumbai, which, according to an IPL media manager, will be attended by all franchisees. The IPL’s current season ends on April 25.