Himachal HC clears Anurag Thakur for BFI polls

Bengaluru: Former union sports minister Anurag Thukar’s bid to contest the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections received a boost after the Himachal Pradesh high court ruled on Thursday that the decision of the federation’s incumbent president Ajay Singh to reject Thakur’s nomination by the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) was “without any authority and power”.

Justice Ajay Mohan Goel directed BFI to extend the last date of nomination to enable Thakur to file his papers representing HPBA and to “fully participate” in BFI’s annual general meeting. The court said the election process will be subject to the final outcome of the writ petition filed before it by HPBA.

The court put in abeyance a March 7 notice issued by Ajay Singh that rejected the nomination of anyone who is not an elected member of a state unit. After HPBA forwarded Thakur’s nomination for the electoral college, Singh rejected it on the basis of his March 7 circular. The BFI president said states nominating any unelected representative was in violation of the federation bylaw and the national sports code.

“This court has no hesitation in holding that prima facie it is evident that notice, dated 07.03.2025 has been issued by respondent No.2 (BFI) without any authority and without any power,” justice Goel held.

The decision comes a day after the Delhi high court stayed BFI’s March 7 circular. Acting on a petition moved by the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association seeking annulment of that circular, the Delhi HC had however clarified that the election process of BFI shall continue.

In its petition before the Himachal high court, HPBA had contended that Singh had no authority to issue such a notice since his tenure as president was over. The association, represented through senior advocate Abhinav Mukerji, argued that the notice was arbitrary and had no foundation in any law.

Accepting the plea, the court said BFI rules made it clear that any decision on nominations and elections to the federation was to be taken by its general council and the president was merely an individual representative. The president or other office-bearers cannot assume the role of the general council, it said.

The Himachal HC said that BFI’s electoral college consisted of representatives of each member association and that there was no rule that mandated that such representatives must be elected members of state units.

The tenure of Singh and other office-bearers had ended on February 2. The elections were delayed and the Indian Olympic Association announced an ad hoc committee oversee the sport. However, the Delhi HC stayed the IOA decision after BFI said it was initiating the election process.

Singh, chairman of SpiceJet, is seeking a third term as BFI president.