Raninder Singh re-elected NRAI chief

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18

In the end, it turned out to be a cakewalk for the incumbent Raninder Singh, who was re-elected as the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president today.

In the election, Singh beat Shyam Singh Yadav — a BSP Member of Parliament — by a margin of 56 to 3 votes in Chandigarh.

Yadav, on whose pleading the Sports Ministry had asked NRAI to call for fresh elections due to apprehensions over returning officer Justice (retd) Mehtab Singh Gill, stayed away from the election venue.

Raninder left the venue mid-way through the voting process to attend a meeting with his father Captain Amarinder Singh, who eventually resigned later in the day as the Punjab chief minister.

Raninder sought the permission from the General House to leave the meeting and as a special dispensation, he was allowed to cast his vote before hurrying off to the CM’s residence.

Kanwar Sultan Singh was elected unopposed to the post of secretary general, and he would take over from DVS Rao. Former BJD MP Kalikesh Singh Deo, who is tipped to take over from Raninder after his tenure of 12 years is over in two years’ time, was also elected unopposed for the post of senior vice-president.

Randeep Mann was elected to the post of treasurer while Pawan Singh and Sheila Kanungo were declared winners for two posts of joint secretary. Besides, eight vice-presidents, six honorary secretaries and 16 governing body members were also elected for 2021-25.

‘Followed procedure’

NRAI officials said they followed all procedures in holding the elections despite the Sports Ministry’s direction to initiate fresh elections after appointing a new returning officer. For the elections, NRAI appointed Justice (retd) Inderjeet Singh Walia as additional returning officer, and also invited the Athletics Federation of India president as an observer on behalf of the ISSF. It also had Chander Mukhi Sharma, secretary general of the Basketball Federation of India, as an observer on behalf of the Indian Olympic Association.

However, there was no observer from the Sports Ministry, sparking fears of derecognition of NRAI.

Sultan, a lawyer, said giving recognition was the government’s prerogative and the shooting body was not in violation of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.

“We have followed all the rules and laws that govern sports federations in India. The only thing that I will say right now is that the Ministry’s letter was based on baseless allegations levelled by one contestant,” Raninder said.