Ranjit Bajaj. (Photo: Instagram/ranjitbajaj)
New Delhi: Football administrator and entrepreneur Ranjit Bajaj has moved the court seeking directions to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to immediately notify the schedule for elections to its Executive Committee and complete the process within a time-bound period.
In his writ petition, Bajaj has sought a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate direction requiring the AIFF to conduct its elections strictly in accordance with its Constitution and the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
Bajaj has also sought directions for completion of the entire electoral process, including declaration of results, within a timeframe to be fixed by the court.
The petitioner has further sought an interim restraint on the present AIFF Executive Committee from taking policy decisions or decisions having long-term, financial or otherwise irreversible consequences in relation to the federation's affairs until the elections are completed.
The petition also seeks any other order that the court may deem fit in the interest of justice.
Bajaj's plea comes against the backdrop of the AIFF's decision to defer its elections as it transitions to the new electoral framework under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
In his petition, Bajaj has contended that the AIFF has already adopted an NSGA-compliant Constitution and completed its constitutional alignment, and therefore there is no justification for any further deferment of its elections.
He has also relied on the court's July 17, 2026 order in the All India Tennis Association case, arguing that compliance by state associations cannot be treated as a pre-condition for holding elections to the national federation.
According to Bajaj's plea, the alignment of state associations should be undertaken by the newly elected Executive Committee after the national federation's elections, rather than being used as a reason to postpone the electoral process.
The petitioner has accordingly urged the court to direct the AIFF to initiate and complete the election process at the earliest.
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