The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put a stay on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) election stated to take place on 12 August at the Olympic Bhawan in New Delhi.
The next date of the hearing is set for 28 August.
The stay from the High Court has been obtained by the 'Haryana Wrestling Association' after being denied representation in the Electoral College of the WFI elections.
While two factions claimed to run wrestling in Haryana, the Returning Officer made the decision to pick Rohtash Singh and Rakesh Singh, from the 'Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association' as the representatives from the state for the Electoral College of the WFI elections, following which the 'Haryana Wrestling Association', presided by Deepender Hooda, approached the High Court with the matter.
In a hearing on 11 August, the court elected to put a stay on tomorrow's election till a final decision is made by them.
"The returning officer has given the finding in favour of Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association, saying they fulfil the condition of affiliation with WFI as well as Haryana Olympic Association. We have challenged the returning officer’s order in the HC, saying that the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association may be affiliated with the WFI but it is not affiliated with the HOA, meaning they are not entitled to participate in the poll process," Advocate Ravinder Malik, who is representing HWA in this matter, said in court.
"In case, Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association is allowed to participate in the election process, then it will cause prejudice as well as the WFI elections will be illegal," he further added.
Each of the 25 voting state units were allowed to send names of two candidates for the WFI election Electoral College, from which individuals could get nominated for the posts in the Executive Committee. The 50 members of the college will also be the only ones voting in the election.
A total of 24 candidates were standing for the 15 positions in the WFI's Executive Committee with two candidates for the all-important president's post - Brij Bhushan Sharan's close aide Sanjay Singh and former wrestler Anita Sheoran.
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