Cuttack: Orissa high court has sought a response from Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on a plea challenging the indefinite postponement of elections to Odisha Cricket Association (OCA), which were due in Oct last year.Justice Savitri Ratho directed the BCCI to file its counter-affidavit before the next hearing on Aug 21, when the matter will be taken up at 3pm. “It is open to the other parties including State Sports & Youth Service Department … OCA and Collector Cuttack to file counter affidavits in the meanwhile,” the court said in the Aug 13 order.OCA council member Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and Cuttack-based Sunrise Club had approached the high court seeking directions to declare and conduct elections for various office-bearer posts of the cricket association. Senior advocate Subir Palit appeared for Mohapatra.The petitioners have challenged the OCA’s decision to keep the elections in abeyance indefinitely. They have contended that the BCCI has not issued any direction asking the state association to wait for the proposed new Sports Bill or Sports Policy before holding elections.The dispute stems from a resolution adopted by the OCA council at a special general body meeting on Feb 22, 2026. The council decided that the election process should remain deferred until the state govt introduces the proposed Sports Bill and the association receives clarity on future BCCI directives.The OCA general body had earlier agreed to postpone the polls, citing India-South Africa T20 international in Odisha in Dec 2025.The elections were originally due in Oct 2025. The last full OCA elections were held on Oct 28, 2022, when BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das was elected president and Sanjay Behera secretary. After Das resigned, Pankaj Lochan Mohanty was elected unopposed as president on Feb 15, 2025.
