Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 30: The J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) is set to hold elections for its office-bearers and Apex Council on January 16, 2026, the affiliated members of the association said today.
The members, during a press conference here, informed that the apex court has appointed AK Jyoti, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, as the Electoral Officer to oversee the process, granting him 12 weeks to complete the exercise.
The election-seen as a crucial step towards restoring order in the association after years of litigation and administrative uncertainty-will be held at GGM Science College, Jammu.
Speaking on the occasion, JKCA member, Javid Ahmad Kitab described the initiation of the election process as a welcome and corrective step, aimed at restoring the association’s credibility.
He said that it will put an end to what he termed “meaningless litigation” that severely hampered the development of cricket and infrastructure in J&K.
He said that the prolonged court battles left the association unable to plan or execute development works for several years.
The elections, members said, are being conducted in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court, as conveyed in an official JKCA communication (No: JKCA/MSC/MA/JMU/25-26/1416, dated December 20, 2025).
In the case titled Youth Cricket Club & Others vs JKCA & Others, the Supreme Court had directed the association to conduct elections strictly as per the Supreme Court-approved Constitution, bringing to an end prolonged disputes over governance and membership.
Earlier, the Division Bench of the J&K High Court had appointed former Justice Bashir-u-Din as Ombudsman to resolve disputes among affiliated clubs.
However, even after more than two years, the disputes remained unresolved, with the Ombudsman citing non-production of records by the association, according to the members.
The JKCA, on the other hand, had consistently maintained before the court that all club records were available with it.
Subsequently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Justice L. Narsimha Reddy as Ombudsman to examine the disputes.
Relying on club records available with the association, he allowed the genuine representatives of clubs to participate in the electoral process, following which the final list of eligible voters was published.
Kitab further disclosed that two clubs were suspended and stripped of their voting rights, a decision that was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court, which dismissed objections raised against the move and endorsed the decision.
“The election notification has already been issued. All clubs were invited to file nominations, and the list of nominees is available. Objections, if any, were to be submitted by December 26 and 27,” he said.
He noted that while a few individuals attempted to sabotage the process by filing writ petitions, most of these have already been dismissed by the courts, asserting that the elections will be held on schedule.
Former JKCA General Secretary Iqbal Ahmad Shah said the association has undergone a significant transformation in recent years.
“There was a time when JKCA had no proper system-no basic infrastructure, rampant infighting, and allegations of scams. The situation deteriorated to such an extent that the association was placed under administrators,” Shah said.
He credited the BCCI’s intervention for reviving cricket in J&K, stating that a streamlined selection process is now in place and local talent is progressing to higher levels, with several players having the potential to represent India.
“Mithun Manhas deserves immense credit for his vision and administrative efforts. He has worked tirelessly for the betterment of the game in J&K. The system he has put in place is now yielding results, and future office-bearers will be expected to follow the same framework,” Shah added.
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