Anurag Thakur Disqualified from Boxing Federation Elections

Thakur's Name Omitted from Electoral College

Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has once again been deemed ineligible to participate in the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections, as his name was excluded from the electoral college announced on Wednesday for the upcoming polls scheduled for August 21.

The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) had put forth Thakur and its President Rajesh Bhandari as their representatives for the Annual General Meeting (AGM), where the primary focus will be the election of new officials for the term spanning 2025 to 2029.

However, the interim committee of the BFI, established by World Boxing in April to manage the federation's daily operations, released a 66-member electoral college after careful review, which did not include Thakur's name.

As per the interim committee, led by Fairuz Mohamed, Thakur's nomination was deemed to breach Article 20 (iii) and (vii) of the BFI Constitution, which has been sanctioned by World Boxing. According to the updated BFI Constitution, approved on May 18, Clause (iii) specifies that nominees for the General Council Meeting must be elected members of the State/UT member association, duly notified to the BFI and present with a BFI observer. Thakur does not hold an elected position within the HPBA, and his nomination had faced rejection on similar grounds prior to the elections that were originally set for March 28.

Previously, the disqualification stemmed from a directive issued by then BFI President Ajay Singh, which has now been incorporated into the revised constitution.

Moreover, Clause (vii) disqualifies individuals who are government employees or hold public office, and Thakur currently serves as a Member of Parliament from Himachal Pradesh.

In a similar situation, the nomination of Rohit Jainendra Jain from the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association was also rejected for contravening Clause (iii) of the updated constitution.

Earlier this week, HPBA President Bhandari asserted that they have initiated a new lawsuit contesting the legality of the constitutional changes made by the interim committee without the Executive Council's consent.

The previous BFI office-bearers' term concluded on February 2. Elections were initially planned for March 28, but the process faced delays due to legal disputes, including various appeals and counter-appeals.

World Boxing has mandated that the elections be finalized by August 31.