Arun Singh Dhumal is positioned to continue at the helm of the IPL Governing Council after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) formally initiated the election process for two council positions ahead of its September 18 Annual General Meeting (AGM), according to a report by Cricbuzz journalist Vijay Tagore.
Dhumal, who represents Himachal Pradesh, and Mizoram representative Khairul Jamal Majumdar currently occupy the two Governing Council seats elected from the BCCI general body. Both are expected to return without opposition, potentially extending the existing leadership arrangement for another one-year term.
Annual election required for Governing Council seats
The process is being conducted under Rule 28 of the BCCI Constitution, with Electoral Officer AK Joti issuing the notification for the two positions.
Dhumal and Majumdar must seek fresh mandates despite already serving on the council because the elected positions carry terms of one year. Under the Governing Council structure, four representatives come from the BCCI general body, with two selected through the election process at the AGM.
The remaining two general body positions are currently occupied by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia and Treasurer Raghuram Bhat.
Full Members determine the electoral roll
Before candidates can formally enter the race, the BCCI must establish the group of representatives eligible to participate in the election process.
Full Members were invited to nominate their respective representatives for inclusion on the electoral roll, with the process beginning on August 25 and the submission deadline set for August 31. Those representatives from the state associations will attend the AGM and constitute the electorate.
Any objections arising from the process will be examined before the final electoral roll is released on September 8.
Candidate process concludes before AGM
Once the electorate has been finalised, attention will shift to nominations for the two IPL Governing Council positions.
Candidates can submit their papers on September 9 or 10, after which the nominations will undergo scrutiny. The final list of contestants is scheduled to be issued on September 12.
Should more than two candidates remain in contention, voting will take place at the AGM on September 18. Dhumal and Majumdar are currently expected to face no challengers, meaning the two positions could ultimately be settled without a contested election.
IPL Governing Council has seven-member structure
The elected representatives sit within a seven-member body responsible for the IPL’s governance.
Alongside the four representatives drawn from the BCCI general body, the council includes the BCCI Chief Executive Officer, a representative of the Indian Cricketers’ Association and a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Dhumal currently serves as IPL Governing Council Chairman, making his expected return particularly relevant to continuity at the leadership level of the competition.
September dates will determine final outcome
The notification covers the two elected IPL Governing Council positions, with the formal process now moving through a series of steps before the September 18 AGM.
The publication of the final electoral roll on September 8 will establish who can participate in the process, followed by candidate nominations on September 9 and 10 and confirmation of the final field on September 12.
Dhumal and Majumdar remain positioned for unopposed returns, but the formal outcome will depend on the completion of those nomination and scrutiny stages ahead of the AGM.
