PT Usha Criticizes SOM Elections, Claims Fraud in IOA Results
Usha's Allegations on SOM Elections
PT Usha, who made history as the first female president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), has labeled the recent Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections as a significant sham. With a fifth-place finish among six candidates, her chances of reclaiming a leadership role appear bleak. Anju Bobby George (53 votes), Rani Rampal (50), Dola Banerjee (45), and Saina Nehwal (43) all surpassed Usha, who received only 40 out of the 80 total votes cast.
In an interview with a local media outlet, Usha accused the election process of being marred by a 'major fraud' aimed at removing her from the IOA. She has called upon both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in.
Usha expressed, 'Winning and losing are part of the game, but the results must be just. I firmly believe this outcome is fraudulent. I cannot accept a fifth-place finish; I should be leading. I know I received over 25 single-preference votes, and those voters have confirmed this to me. Mathematically, it’s implausible for Anju to have 53 votes!'
She revealed that her acceptance of the IOA presidency in 2022 was at the request of PM Modi. 'Initially, I was nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP, and then I was asked to take on the IOA presidency. It took me a week to agree, as I believed the Prime Minister wanted me to help rectify the situation. My focus has been on fulfilling his vision for women's empowerment, advocating for athletes, and combating corruption,' she stated.
'If someone wanted me out, they could have approached me respectfully, saying, 'Ushaji, please don’t contest; we have another candidate in mind.' I would have withdrawn without hesitation. I spoke with the Sports Minister, but he didn’t indicate anything. I also met with the Home Minister, who promised to discuss it with the minister. This result is a slap in the face of the PM’s initiative. He brought me here, and while he is occupied with pressing national issues, I hope he will intervene,' she added.
Usha has lodged a formal complaint with the IOC, raising concerns about the 'underhanded' tactics employed by factions opposing her within the executive committee. She also criticized the returning officer, Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, for neglecting to address at least four complaints regarding breaches of conduct by certain candidates and committee members.
Usha shared a WhatsApp message indicating that four candidates—Anju, Rani, Dola, and Saina—had campaigned together under the 'Bharat Panel' banner. Her complaints also implicated executive committee members Bhupinder Singh Bajwa and Yogeshwar Dutt for allegedly soliciting votes improperly, as well as Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary Sanjay Mishra for reportedly pressuring athletes to provide email confirmations of their votes.
'The voters faced undue pressure. I know some were told to vote under the pretense that 'the PMO wants it' or 'the Sports Minister wants it.' People will feel anxious if someone calls claiming to be from the PMO, and they have no idea if their names were used to secure votes. I will urge the IOC to investigate the results,' she concluded.