Dalmiya keeps state cricket job

By Ayanjit Sen
BBC in Delhi

Dalmiya has been West Bengal cricket president for 14 years

Former chief of the International Cricket Council, Jagmohan Dalmiya, has retained his presidency of the state cricket body in West Bengal.

Dalmiya beat his rival, local police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee, by just five votes.

It was the first time Dalmiya, who has held the post for the past 14 years, had faced such a close tussle.

In last year's elections, Dalmiya's rival had managed to garner just 13 out of 121 votes.

But this year he just scraped home and won at a time when he is contesting several charges levelled against him by the current regime of Board of Cricket Control in India.

The BCCI has banned him from attending board meetings and alleged he is involved in financial irregularities.

Dalmiya said: "I don't consider this a win or loss for anybody. I don't believe in witch-hunting, but a lot of wrong has been done to me (by the BCCI).

"This is not cricket. I can only say that whatever they do will not go unchallenged."

One of his close aides, former BCCI joint secretary, Gautam Dasgupta, told the BBC the win for Dalmiya was a platform to fight the allegations levelled by the current board.

"It is difficult to fight allegations without this platform," he said.

"Also, a man like Dalmiya, who has done so much for Indian cricket, should have a graceful exit whenever the time comes."

"Mr Dalmiya's victory is an immediate setback for his rivals in the national arena."

Dalmiya, now 65, has exerted considerable influence over the sport since he joined the board in 1979. As treasurer of the board, he was instrumental in bringing the right to stage the World Cup in South Asia in 1987 and 1996.

The wealthy Calcutta businessman had formed the anti-corruption unit of the ICC during his reign as its president.

Dalmiya returned to the Indian cricket board in 2001 when he was elected its president but stood down in 2004.