Punjab and Haryana HC stays Wrestling Federation of India's polls

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday stayed the much-anticipated Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections slated for Saturday till further orders following a petition filed by the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA).

The order came following a petition filed by the HWA, challenging the move to allow Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association to cast votes in the WFI polls.

Advocate Ravinder Malik, representing Haryana Wrestling Association which is headed by Member of Parliament Deepinder Hooda, said the HWA is a registered society in the state and is affiliated to the WFI.

As per rules and the constitution of the WFI, any registered affiliated body can send two representatives to cast their votes for the WFI polls, he stated.

The HWA advocate said that one more body, Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association has claimed that it was affiliated with the WFI as well as Haryana Olympic Association.    

Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association further claimed that the HWA has no business to participate in the election process because it is not affiliated with the WFI.

"The returning officer has given the finding in favour of Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association, saying they fulfil the condition of affiliation with WFI as well as Haryana Olympic Association," said the advocate.

"We have challenged the returning officer's order in the high court, saying that the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association may be affiliated with the WFI but it is not affiliated with the HOA, meaning they are not entitled to participate in the poll process," said Malik, representing HWA.

"In case, Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association is allowed to participate in the election process, then it will cause prejudice as well as the WFI elections will be illegal," he said.

The court has taken note of it and said lest it should cause prejudice to anybody, prima facie, it seems Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association is not eligible to cast votes.

The court of justice Vinod S Bhardwaj of the high court stayed the elections of the WFI.