Shortly after being ousted from his position of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association chief, former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was on Monday reinstated to the post through a High Court stay order.
Earlier on Monday, the veteran National Conference leader had been replaced at the cricket body’s helm by J&K sports minister Imran Ansari, who was elected unopposed. Abdullah had refused to contest elections on the back of financial impropriety charges during his earlier tenure.
It was the first time Abdullah had seemingly lost control of the J&K cricket association since 1980 when he was first elected as president of the body. Abdullah had meanwhile also said that his ouster is illegal because he had a three-year term to serve as the board’s president and that he would ‘fight till the end’ in this matter.
Of the 64 cricket clubs affiliated to JKCA, 42 took part in the internal elections. Also, following the elections, it was declared that Mehboob Iqbal would be the new chairman, Muhammad Iqbal the new general secretary and Abdul Rouf the new treasurer of the J&K cricket board.
Earlier this month, former JKCA president Abdullah had said in a response submitted to the High Court that his name was being unnecessarily dragged in the scam involving crores provided by BCCI. Abdullah said that it was an attempt to ‘defame’ him and ‘tarnish his political image’.