Venkatesh Prasad, a former pacer for India, was chosen without opposition to the position of President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Following the rejection and withdrawal of competing nominees, the situation occurred even before the planned elections on December 7. Twelve years after he last served as the association’s vice president, Venkatesh Prasad return marks a significant milestone for KSCA administration.
In order to settle internal conflicts inside the KSCA, the Karnataka High Court recently intervened and ordered that presidential elections be held on December 7. Additionally, the court mandated that the election procedure be conducted exactly in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives and the association’s bylaws. On November 24, the nomination scrutiny was carried out in accordance with these guidelines.
Venkatesh Prasad and K.N. Shanth Kumar were the first candidates to submit nominations for the president’s position. As the president of the DH and PV Sports Club and a prominent member of the Karnataka cricket administration, Shanth Kumar represents the ‘Team Brijesh’ faction. Upon closer examination, his candidacy papers were deemed illegal due to his four-year failure to pay the club’s yearly contribution, which is against KSCA regulations. Prasad was the only contender who was still qualified after this disqualification.
From 2010 until 2013, Venkatesh Prasad was the vice president of the KSCA.
It also affected other nominations for different positions. Due to unpaid dues and a lack of affidavits, members of Venkatesh Prasad own faction, such as Dr. Srikanth Rai and Mr. Uthyunjaya, had their papers declared invalid. Considered a serious contender, Kalpana Venkatachar willingly retracted her nomination, stating that she respected Prasad.
In compliance with directives from the High Court, the list of candidates was finalised at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium by Electoral Officer Dr. B. Basavaraju (IAS Retd.). The procedure verified that, prior to election day, the presidential race was mostly ended.
Thus, Prasad is making a 12-year comeback to cricket administration after serving as the KSCA’s vice-president from 2010 to 2013 under president Anil Kumble and secretary Javagal Srinath. He assumes the position at a time when the KSCA’s leadership has come under scrutiny due to problems like administrative disagreements, postponed elections, and the aftermath of the stampede tragedy that occurred at Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this year. In a recent interview with the media, Prasad blasted the previous administration, which was led by K. Brijesh Patel’s side, for poor leadership and insufficient focus on cricket growth in spite of its financial stability.
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