Chennai:
At an emergency meeting in Chennai today, described as "stormy", N Srinivasan did not resign but "stepped aside" as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India or BCCI. This means that he will be back in his seat the moment an investigation into allegations of spot-fixing and betting in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is completed.
Here are the latest developments in this story:
Mr Srinivasan's mentor and former BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya will serve as interim president for a month and will manage the day-to-day affairs of the Board. (Read BCCI's statement)
At this afternoon's meeting of the BCCI's working committee, Mr Srinivasan reportedly said he would "step aside and not step down". A resignation, he is said to have argued, would set a bad precedent.
Punjab Cricket Association chief IS Bindra said most members of the Board wanted Mr Srinivasan to resign but, "Only I asked for his resignation, no one else had the guts." (Read) He also added that the "Delhi gang" including BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Anurag Thakur, both members of the working committee, as also former IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla saved Mr Srinivasan.
But Mr Srinivasan refuted Mr Bindra's claims, telling NDTV that the "meeting was very smooth and there was no acrimony". He also said that his decision to step aside was an "extraordinarily fair step". (Watch)
Sources said Mr Dalmiya's name for interim president was proposed by Mr Jaitley and Mr Thakur. "The BCCI meeting was not a sham," Mr Dalmiya later said.
Members of the board reportedly requested Ajay Shirke and Sanjay Jagdale to retun to the Board. The two had resigned on Friday as BCCI office-bearers to protest against Mr Srinivasan continuing in office. Mr Shirke has ruled out his return.
Mr Shirke, who was the BCCI Treasurer and represents Maharashtra on the board, said today's decision was a "step backwards".
Mr Jagdale has not just resigned as Board Secretary, but has also opted out of the three-member committee appointed by the BCCI to investigate the spot-fixing scandal. Sources say a third person will now be appointed to replace Mr Jagdale.
The powerful Mr Srinivasan's many detractors say there is a conflict of interest in his being BCCI chief after the arrest of his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan last month on charges of gambling, cheating, and conspiracy. Mr Meiyappan's alleged links with bookies are under investigation.
Mr Meiyappan's visiting card recovered by the cops names him as the 'Team Principal' of the Chennai Super Kings, which made him a crucial member of the franchise's management. Mr Srinivasan has, since Mr Meiyappan's arrest, tried to distance his son-in-law from the franchise, which is owned by his company India Cements. He said Mr Meiyappan was seen with the team constantly only because he is a "cricket enthusiast." Mr Srinivasan has also said that if his son-in-law was placing bets, he was not aware of it.
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