IOA Election Officer Says He Had No Power to Penalise Candidates for Code Violations

Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, the returning officer for the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) elections, has said that he did not have the authority to take punitive action against candidates accused of violating the model code of conduct. He said he had responded to complaints by issuing advisories asking candidates to follow the election rules.
 

Srivastava, a former State Election Commissioner of Delhi, broke his silence on allegations of code violations during the election process, which has been surrounded by controversy. He clarified that his powers did not extend to disqualifying candidates, cancelling the elections or imposing penalties for alleged violations.
 

He also said that he could not postpone the SOM elections after receiving complaints on the night before polling.
 

“I do not have the authority to take punitive action against anyone for alleged violations. I cannot disqualify anyone or cancel the elections. I do not have those powers. I can only ask them to refrain from violating the code of conduct, which I did immediately,” Srivastava said.
 

On Monday, 80 former athletes cast their votes online to elect four women SOM representatives. IOA president PT Usha failed to secure a place among the four winners, finishing fifth among the six candidates.
 

The four male SOM representatives had already been declared elected unopposed on November 7.
 

The election process has drawn attention following allegations of violations of the model code of conduct and questions over the handling of complaints.