New Delhi: Twelve of the 15 Indian Olympic Association (IOA) executive committee members have decided to bring a motion of ‘no confidence’ against its president PT Usha at the Special General Meeting she has called on October 25.
With the row between the members and Usha escalating, the members went into a huddle on Wednesday and came out with a 26-point agenda. The agenda listed by the EC members for the SGM includes discussion on president Usha’s functioning, conduct, non-compliance with IOA constitution, failure to convene Annual General Meeting, “pressurising finance committee to approve unauthorised expenses related to her,” among others. IOA joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey on Wednesday issued the notice and agenda of the SGM as acting CEO.
The last point in the agenda is “vote of no confidence against the president”.
“To discuss and consider a motion of no confidence against the president in light of alleged constitutional violations and actions potentially detrimental to Indian sport,” said the agenda signed by Chaubey. A copy of the agenda is with HT.
The agenda also includes detailed “discussion on sponsorship agreements executed by the president without consultation with the sponsorship committee or the executive council”.
Usha has come under the scanner after a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report issued a half margin (audit memo) and observed a loss of ₹24 crore to IOA on account of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) being given four extra events without any extra price – Winter Olympics (2026 and 2030) and Summer Youth Olympics (2026, 2030). HT first reported about the CAG observations.
Usha on Tuesday spoke to the media on the issue, saying the EC members were aware and part of the discussion that took place with RIL to renegotiate the terms of sponsorship agreement and it was done to protect the rights fee of ₹35 crore payable by it to IOA.
The apex sports body has been in turmoil and Usha and EC members are on a confrontational path. They have traded charges against each other over the appointment of Raghuram Iyer as CEO. Raising objections about his pay package, EC in an emergency meeting did not ratify his appointment. Instead, the members decided to bring back joint secretary Chaubey as acting CEO till the time the post of CEO is advertised and filled.
Usha then called an SGM on Oct 25 to discuss the dispute over Iyer’s appointment and put it to vote. The agenda circulated by the IOA president also includes matters related to corruption and complaints received against some members of the EC regarding their ineligibility to hold office as per the government’s Sports Code. Besides, a discussion on the CAG audit that found substantial sums owed to IOA were written off by its treasurer Sahdev Yadav and the current members of the finance committee is also part of the agenda.
“She cannot issue an agenda of SGM on whatever she decides without consulting with EC,” said an EC member.
It’s now a showdown between Usha and EC as 12 members have been added to the agenda forwarded by Usha.
The note said that EC wants “to deliberate on the president’s non-compliance with constitutional mandates to regularly convene EC meetings despite multiple written requests from EC members to address key matters.”
They also want to “examine instances of unilateral decisions taken by the president in relation to Paris Games like finalizing the list of participants, entitlements to national federation staff, sponsorship agreement, procurement of ceremonial and athletic kits, appointment of support staff, etc.”
It wants a discussion on review of the president’s powers and referring the president’s conduct to the IOA’s Ethics Commission for “review and potential action”.
The agenda also includes a vote on the appointment of CEO as well as controversial loan settlement of the Weightlifting Federation on India (IWLF), besides other charges brought out against EC members by Usha for violation of sports code.
