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The Wrestling Federation of India will conduct its election on December 21, Thursday. The reports further said that the results of the elections will be announced on the same day. Earlier on November 28, the Supreme Court gave its nod to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to host elections and set aside the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Currently, the day-to-day activities of the wrestling governing body are handled by an IOA-constituted ad-hoc panel, led by Wushu Association of India Chief Bhupender Singh Bajwa.
Earlier this year, the sports ministry suspended the Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh-headed federation after he was accused of sexual harassment allegations by seven female wrestlers, including a minor. Several wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, protested in the national capital in the months of April-May this year.
According to the PTI, the elections that were set to be conducted in July will now be conducted on December 21 and the results will be announced on the same day. Earlier, the delay in conducting elections led to the suspension of the WFI for failing to conduct fresh polls in the stipulated time. Notably, the division Bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Pankaj Mithal on Tuesday, November 28, said that it failed to understand how the entire election process could have been set at naught.
The bench added, “Accordingly, the impugned order granting interim relief is set aside. It will be open for the Returning Officer to proceed with the election by publishing a revised election program. We make it clear that the outcome of the election will be subject to orders that may be passed in the petition.”
