Chennai, Jan 3 (PTI) The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has called for a special general body meeting on February 9 in Ahmedabad to elect new office-bearers.

The meeting was convened by AICF secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan.

Chauhan on Thursday had issued a notice, calling for a special general body meeting on February 9 in Ahmedabad to elect new office bearers for 2020-2023 and discuss appropriate matters with the permission of the Chair.

According to the notice, retired Supreme Court judge Justice Arijit Pasayat will be the Returning Officer for the elections.

The election will be held to elect one president, six vice presidents, one honorary secretary, six joint secretaries and one treasurer.

The agenda of the meeting as per the notice is "Elections to the office-bearers for the term 2020-2023 for the following posts. One President, Six Vice-Presidents, One Hon Secretary, Six Joint Secretaries and One Treasurer. To pass appropriate resolutions after the new office-bearers are elected, and any other matter with the permission of the Chair."

The notice said 13 state associations -- Bihar, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttaranchal, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Assam -- had requisitioned the meeting with an agenda to hold the elections.

The February 9 meeting comes after three meetings held in December (on 14, 22 and 28) last year.

It may be recalled that at the meeting on December 28 in Bhopal called by Chauhan, the AICF decided to conduct the special general body meeting on February 9 during which the elections would be held.

The faction led by the AICF president P R Venketrama Raja had conducted a meeting in Chennai last month during which it was decided to hold the elections on February 10 in the city.

Chauhan told PTI that the notice was given as per the decision taken at the December 28 general body meeting. Asked if it was correct to call for a meeting when a court case was pending, he said it was done following the decision taken at the GB meeting in Bhopal. Chauhan and AICF president Venketrama Raja have been at loggerheads over various issues.

At a general body meeting of AICF called by the president it was decided to hold elections on February 10 in Chennai.

However, at the December 28 meeting held at Bhopal, it was decided to hold the elections on February 9 in Ahmedabad.

Chauhan said there was no hurdle in holding the general body meet in Ahmedabad while the AICF is headquartered in Chennai.

Meanwhile, AICF treasurer Kishore M Bandekar, who belongs to the Venketrama Raja faction, said usually general body meets of the Federation are held in the city where it is headquartered.

He also accused Chauhan of calling for meeting as and when he pleased and said the February 9 meeting called was not valid.

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