KalingaTimes Correspondent
Cuttack, Aug 5: Battle lines for the cash-rich Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) elections have been drawn with incumbent president Ranjib Biswal, a national selector, pitted against Pradip Chauhan, former treasurer of OCA and a cricketing organiser of repute.

Biswal, who is also a former India Under-19 captain, had trounced Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, editor of Oriya daily `The Sambad' and a former Lok Sabha MP in the elections in 2004.

It appears from the list, after withdrawal of nominations on Monday, that a fierce fight is on the cards for all the posts, unlike the last elections, with both the camps busy in preparing the game plan as to how to outwit the other.

The elections are scheduled to be held on August 17.

While there will be direct contest for the posts of president, secretary and treasurer, multi-cornered contests will be held for eight posts of vice-presidents and three posts of joint secretaries.

Altogether 12 candidates are in the fray for eight posts of vice-presidents and four for three posts of joint secretaries.

After the scrutiny on Saturday, 14 sets of documents of altogether 38 contestants were found to be valid.

However, 13 candidates withdrew from the race on the last day of withdrawal on Monday including seven from the race of vice-president, joint secretaries (four) and treasurer (two).

An interesting aspect of this year's elections is that Asirbad Behera, the all-powerful secretary of the OCA, who was elected uncontested last time, is crossing sword with seasoned Anand Chandra Naik, who remained vice-president of the cricketing body for the last three decades.

The elections this year had initially generated much hype and expected to be a high profile affair after reports in the media that BJD strongman and Rajya Sabha MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra had evinced interest for the OCA president's post.

However, it turned out to be a damp squib as Mohapatra clarified that though he had initially thought to enter the fray, he dropped the idea keeping in view his commitment to work for the party in view of the elections to the state assembly and Parliament ahead.

The elections for OCA are held every four years. While 13 old districts, Rourkela and Bhubaneswar are enjoying three votes each, 17 new districts and the East Coast Railway have two votes each. There are 16 first class cricketing clubs, 10 schools and five colleges with two votes each.

Apart from this, five second class clubs and four ex-officio members in state – director general of police, sports council director, president of state Olympic association and higher education director have one vote each.

Elections are held for president (one post), vice presidents (eight posts), secretary (one post), joint secretaries (three posts), treasurer (one post) and council members for Class-II clubs (three posts).

However, three members for the posts of Council Members for Class-II clubs have been elected uncontested, OCA sources said.

Altogether 148 members will exercise their franchise in the elections.

Prominent members who would cast votes in the elections included Pyari Mohan Mohapatra representing Union Sporting Club, Orissa's minister for Higher Education Sameer Dey (Sun Shine Club), Ranendra Pratap Swain, MLA (Rover's Club), Chiranjeebi  Biswal, MLA (Town Club), former captain Karan Dubey (ACC  Club), Asirbad Behera, Secretary (Cuttack District Athletic Association), Ranjib Biswal (Jaya Durga Club) Pradeep Chouhan (Rising Star Club) and Braja Kishrore Nanda, Secretary, All Orissa Non-Government Employees' Coordination Committee (Saheed Sporting club).

Though there are a number of sporting clubs in different parts of the state, all the 16 clubs which enjoyed the voting right during OCA elections belonged to Cuttack city alone.