IOA elections: Randhir Singh blinks first, withdraws nomination

PTI NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 25, 2012



The controversial Indian Olympic Association elections took a dramatic turn onm Sunday with Randhir Singh announcing that he will withdraw his nomination for the post of President.



Randhir will meet Returning Officer Justice V K Bali at 3:00 pm to withdraw his nomination, adding a new twist to the December 5 polls which have seen a bitter campaign between the rival factions of owing allegiance to Randhir and Abhay Singh Chautala.



Randhir told PTI that he has been \"pained\" by the \"slanderous campaign\" that has been carried out against him and said that has prompted him to pull out of the elections.



\"There has been a slanderous and malicious campaign against me by some people in the IOA. I will expose them but I do not want to stoop to that level,\" Randhir told PTI.



He said his rivals have been raising the issue that an IOC member cannot contest the elections, but there are no provisions in the IOA Constitution which bar an IOC member from contesting.



\"They have been raising such issues just to prevent me from contesting. I am a former shooter who has represented the country and I am not a person who hankers for positions. I have been in sports administration for long and there allegation that I am hankering for this position will be proved wrong,\" he said.



\"In India, there are lot of people who can take up such positions and can do a good job as well,\" he added.



Randhir also claimed that he has the numbers to win the elections if he had contested, but insisted that the kind of atmosphere that has been created and the level of personal allegations has forced him to withdraw.





Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/olympic-body-poll-randhir-withdraws-nomination-from-ioa-elections/1/234657.html
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