Gokhale terms MSBA elections as illegal

All is not well in Maharashtra State Basketball Association (MSBA), which is headed by MP Poonam Mahajan. In a significant development, Shiv Chhatrapati awardee and former vice-president of MSBA Shatrughna Gokhale has termed the election of the state body to be held on March 26 as illegal. 

Speakaing to TLN, Gokhale said the state body is already facing suspension from the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Therefore, they can’t hold the election. He said “MSBA is holding its elections illegally as they don’t  have charity commissioner certificate in their name neither they are having its constitution which is duly registered with the  Charity Commissioner.”

 He further said, “ The top MSBA officials took the decisions at its executive committee meeting held on March 1, 2019 wherein many members objected to it for the want of proper notice period. Notice of this executive committee meeting was issued on February 26, 2019 just two days before the meeting. The meeting was called hurriedly so that many of the Vidarbha and Marathwada members could not attend the same,” he said. 

Gokhale said MSBA should concentrate on getting the proper documentation and submitting it to the parent body to cancel its suspension. “The notice issued for the election is also a farce. The election officer is yet to be appointed. We have also demanded to give the documents such as the Constitution of MSBA, on the basis of which these elections are being held, minutes of both the executive committee meetings, notice issued by the BFI, reply given by MSBA to BFI, copy of accounts statements for the four years etc. But till today neither such document, nor even reply to our query is received from MSBA,” Gokhale said.