Smooth AICF AGM likely

KOLKATA, OCT. 12. The much-awaited annual general body meeting of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) will come off here on Saturday. The entire process is expected to be smooth.

As many as 16 points have to be taken up, as listed in the agenda, the election process is the last one to come up. The reconvened AGM, by the order of the High Court of Kerala, will elect one president, six vice-presidents, one honorary secretary, six joint secretaries and one honorary treasurer.

The treasurer's post has gone unopposed and the present incumbent, Mr. Soumen Majumdar, nominated from Madhya Pradesh, will keep the post for the next four years. Mr. Majumdar, who is the man behind the Alekhine Chess Club here, has been elected for the third term.

Mr. P.T. Ummer Koya, gunning for the fourth four-year term as the honorary secretary, is expected to sail through unopposed, for he claims to have the required numbers to see him through. He needs only a simple majority in the 62-member house against V.R. Bobba of Andhra Pradesh, provided the latter decided to contest.

Mr. Dhruv M. Sawhney, who will chair the meeting for the last time as the outgoing president, has decided to quit after three terms. The battle royal for the top post will be between N. Srinivasan, Managing Director of India Cements, Chennai, and a retired Army Col. Mohan Singh of Rajasthan. The former is being supported by Mr. Koya's group. Mr. Rajender Pawar, the chairman of NIIT, who was favoured to replace Mr. Sawhney, as the president, refused to contest the election. Instead he wanted to be an unanimous candidate, which, obviously, none could guarantee.

Mr. Koya insisted to the media in an informal chat that the AICF is not a divided house as seen at the earlier AGM that ended inconclusively at New Delhi on September 1. ``I expect a smooth sailing on the morrow because all our delegates are experienced and matured people. No one will like to disturb the smooth working of the federation,'' he said.

Yet, no one is sure about the vice-president and joint secretary posts. Eight candidates are in fray for six berths in both the posts and efforts are on to bring about an understanding to avoid contest.

Among others the meeting will take up the conduct of the second World Cup and World Chess championship for men and women in 2001- 2002; rescheduling of the golden jubilee celebrations of the AICF to the beginning of 2002; granting of affiliations to newly formed Chattishgarh and Jharkhand Chess Associations; to organise the FIDE presidential board meeting in March 2002 in Goa and to approve the calendar for the years 2001, 2002 and 2003.

- Our Special Correspondent

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