DSA members constitute panel to conduct polls, bypassing president

Factional feud erupted in Delhi Soccer Association (DSA) as majority of its members constituted a three-member ad hoc committee to run the day-to-day affairs of the organisation and hold elections in August.

The two decisions were taken in an Extraordinary General Body Meeting (EGBM) bypassing President Anuj Gupta. The EGBM held here on Sunday fixed August 30 as the date for the DSA elections DSA. It authorised the ad-hoc panel to take charge of DSA with immediate effect till an elected executive committee assumes office. Gupta, on his part, termed the move as “illegal”, claiming that “people who are not even members are trying to take over DSA”.

The EGBM appointed Young Boys FC President Bharat Singh Mehra as head of the ad hoc committee with Collegian FC President Susanta Deb and Ajmal FC President Liaquat Ali as the other members.

According to the minutes of the meeting in possession of PTI, 60 members of the DSA attended the EGBM — 47 permanent council members, six provisional members, two associate members and five institutional members.

The EGBM was called by Liaqat Ali, also the treasurer, and the meeting was chaired by one of the vice-presidents, Jagdish Chander Malhotra.

Gupta was elected DSA president in March 2023 after former chief Shaji Prabhakaran became the General Secretary of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The term of the 21-member executive committee ended in March this year.

Mehra said the EGBM was called as the term of the DSA executive committee elected in 2022 had ended and the elections were not held on time. “The term of the executive committee has ended on March 19 this year and the president (Gupta) has not called for elections of the organisation. He is trying to postpone the elections,” Mehra told PTI. “He had called for an EGBM on May 24 but, just a day prior, postponed it on the basis of a letter from the AIFF.” When contacted, Gupta said, “It is completely wrong. Nothing has changed.

Some members who are not even members have tried to take over the DSA with illegal means. They have not even complied with the court order and have done contempt. I will be moving to court immediately.”

He said the AIFF extended the term of every state association till the national body’s elections, set to be held in December this year. The AIFF’s elections, in turn, were to be held before September but the Sports Ministry had allowed the National Sports Federations whose polls fall in 2026 to postpone them till the end of the year.

Mehra countered to Gupta’s claim, saying that the sports ministry’s directive for extension of term was subject to approval by the general body of the NSF, and that would extend to state units under a national federation.