Volleyball Federation of India election: Chandigarh barred from voting| HC issues notice to Centre, Indian Olympic body

A notice has been issued by Punjab and Haryana high court On Thursday to Union of India, Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), and returning officer for VFA elections, in response to a writ petition filed by Chandigarh Volleyball Association (CVA).

The issue came to rise when the returning officer on January 30 declined permission to CVA nominees to cast their vote in the upcoming elections of VFI’s governing body, scheduled on February 17.

Advocate Narender Singh, representing the CVA, argued that the officer here is not competent to determine the electoral college. As per the model election guidelines, the determination is to be done by the National Sport Federation (NSF), he added.

It was further contended that there is no governing body of NSF, and it is now being controlled and supervised by an ad hoc committee nominated by IOA as per order dated June 13, 2023. Hence, only the said committee was competent to examine the issue, and could not have been exercised by the officer, advocate stated.

He further contended that CVA is the only affiliated sports association of Chandigarh with NSF.

The case is now adjourned to February 14.

“The order of the returning officer declining participation by the representatives of the Chandigarh Volleyball Association, in the elections of the National Sports Federation, is denial of an opportunity to the petitioner to participate in the forthcoming election, which is scheduled for February 17,” the petition mentioned.