PCA office-bearer election on July 12
Eight days after its former secretary stepped down, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) has announced fresh elections for picking the new House for the next three-year term on July 12.
The elections for the posts of president, vice president, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer will be held by secret ballot during the annual General Body meeting. Besides, elections for picking 11 members of the apex council-seven representatives of the affiliated district cricket associations, three members from “life members” category and one representative from the clubs/ colleges/ institutions—will also be elected.
The Model Code of Conduct has come to force with this notification. Highly placed sources claimed that the House will be electing all office bearers unanimously and no voting is likely to take place. However, no official confirmed the same.
Meanwhile, former state election commissioner Rajeev Sharma has been appointed as electoral officer. “Only Category ‘A’ members as per Rule 3 ‘Membership’ of Rules and Regulations (PCA) will be eligible to contest. The elections will be held as per the Memorandum of Associations and Rules And Regulations (as revised [d1] November 20,2022) of PCA,” read the notice. As per the Category ‘A’ list, there are nearly 402 members (including current and former bureaucrats/police officials/journalists) who are eligible to vote, if polling gets held on July 12.
It was in May 2022 that the PCA House elected the new president, who was later stripped off the charge. Later in February 2023, the office-bearer was replaced and Amarjit Singh Mehta was appointed to the top post, while Dilsher Khanna continued to be the secretary of the association since 2022, reportedly for a period of three years, until his resignation was made public on June 18. Both Mehta and Khanna had been elected unopposed.
Election schedule
The filing of nominations will be allowed from July 3 to 4 (11 am to 3 pm both days), while the scrutiny of nominations and disposal of objections will be held from July 5 to 7.
The list of eligible candidates will be displayed on July 7 (5 pm), and the withdrawals will be allowed till July 8 (11 am to 4 pm). The final list of contesting candidates and allotment of symbols (if any) will be displayed on July 8 (5pm).
On July 12, polling (if necessary) will be held from 12.30 pm to 4.30 pm, followed by counting of votes (immediately after the polls) and declaration of results, after the counting of votes. Meanwhile, the filing of nominations, scrutiny, withdrawals and elections will be at the PCA Hall Level-1 (South Pavilion) at the Maharaja Yadavindra PCA Stadium in Mullanpur.
More members in Category ‘A’ list
As per PCA records, the lists of Category ‘A’ members has witnessed a spike and also mentioned enrolment of new members. As per election notice in 2022 and 2023, the list of Category ‘A’ members mentions a total 249 names, while the 2025 election notice carries 402 names of members including many whos’ who.
Chandigarh