High Court Ruling Revives Anurag Thakur's Bid for BFI Presidency

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has allowed former sports minister Anurag Thakur to contest the Boxing Federation of India's presidential election. The court stayed Thakur's disqualification and extended the nomination deadline, permitting his candidacy. This decision follows a controversy-laden delay in the BFI elections.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has intervened to revive former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur's candidacy for the Boxing Federation of India's (BFI) presidential election. The court ruled that the disqualification of Thakur was unjust, ordering the BFI to extend the nomination date to facilitate his entry into the election.

Thakur, who also serves as a Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur, was initially declared ineligible due to a BFI directive that restricted electoral participation to elected members only. However, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel found this exclusion legally unsound and in Thakur's favor, granting an interim stay on the March 7 order.

The decision has provided a boost to Thakur's prospects ahead of the March 28 BFI elections, addressing the prolonged controversies that have plagued the electoral process, originally set for February 2. The Delhi High Court also weighed in, staying the March 7 order while allowing elections to proceed, pending its final ruling.

(With inputs from agencies.)