AITA President Seeks Court Ruling on 2024 Elections Amid Controversy

AITA President's Legal Challenge

Anil Jain, the president of the All India Tennis Association (AITA), has approached the Delhi High Court, seeking to invalidate the federation elections held in September 2024. This move comes after a no-confidence motion was proposed against him by state associations last year, leading to tensions within the organization.

During that period, one of AITA's affiliated units accused Jain of leveraging his position for personal benefits. Although the no-confidence motion was eventually withdrawn prior to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that saw the election of a new governing body, the election results have remained sealed in court due to a challenge from Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja regarding their legitimacy.

In his petition submitted on May 26, Jain requested the court to nullify the AITA elections but urged against the appointment of a Committee of Administrators (CoA). He argued that such an action could provoke objections from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), potentially disrupting AITA's operations. Jain believes that the current management can effectively amend the constitution and ensure AITA's smooth functioning under judicial oversight.

However, members of the Executive Committee (EC) have expressed their discontent, claiming that Jain did not seek their approval before submitting the court response. Hironmoy Chatterjee, who called for the EC meeting, stated, “Such a reply required EC agreement. He cannot unilaterally file it in court. A resolution must be passed first.” He further criticized Jain's actions, suggesting that unauthorized individuals are currently managing the organization. Jain, on the other hand, maintains that he is not obligated to consult anyone.