I will contest the elections, Srinivasan says

"Why should I step aside? I am not disqualified and you can't push me out," N Srinivasan said.

CHENNAI: There was a buzz around the five-star hotel from where N Srinivasan prefers to fight all his battles. The media was getting restless as messages kept pouring in that the chargesheet had been filed by the Mumbai police against Gurunath Meiyappan. 

Is this the end of Srinivasan? 

That was the question on everybody's lips when the man himself decided to make his entry. He must have been following the developments on TV but his body language didn't give anything away. 

He appeared relaxed, with a smile across his lips, and addressed the media in a way he rarely does. "Will you be stepping aside?" 

The missile flew in but the president wasn't ruffled. "Why should I step aside? I am not disqualified and you can't push me out," Srinivasan said. 

Even earlier in the day, when a TV channel pushed the mike forward as he was getting into his car, the president-in-exile didn't get irritated. The same question was asked then as well, to which Srinivsan had said: "I know you guys want me out, but I will contest the elections, and most probably get elected as well." The confidence, of course, stems from the fact that he has already won half the battle. 

The TN strongman has all but ensured that there won't be any election in the BCCI annual general meeting (AGM), as the rivals don't have a proposer and seconder in their ranks from South Zone for a rival candidate. 

But before that, there's the son-in-law issue that has to be addressed and he was obviously quizzed about it. "I have not seen the chargesheet yet. I will be asking the BCCI secretary ( Sanjay Patel) to take legal advice if he finds it necessary. I have always maintained that if Gurunath is wrong then the law will take its own course. He has already been suspended and the India Cements will take necessary action when it is required." 

But the journos were not ready to give up, desperate for something more concrete, to which the BCCI supremo made his first jibe of the day at the media. "You people must realize that I am not disqualified at all. The press is trying to take a position and I beg to differ. I don't agree with you," Srinivasan added. 

Srinivasan got on the defensive when asked about the two-member probe commission comprising two of retired judges of Madras high court - T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian — formed by BCCI. 

"For your information, the matter is before the honourable Supreme Court and I am not going to comment on the matter as it is still sub-judice." 

Taint no bar? 

If N Srinivasan is re-elected BCCI chief, he will join some well-known administrators who weathered calls for ouster... 

Juan Antonio Samaranch: In 21 years as president, Samaranch made the International Olympic Committee (IOC) financially sound but the bribery scandal of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics nearly did him in. Samaranch escaped by the skin of his teeth. 

Sepp Blatter: The 77-year-old who took over from Havelenge too has been accused of corruption. His name figured in Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid and the financial mismanagement which led to losses in ISL but eventually he was cleared by FIFA's ethics committee. 

Suresh Kalmadi: The former IOA president emerged the most controversial figure with charges of corruption against him in the 2010 CWG. He was granted bail last year. He decided to hand over administrative powers to VK Malhotra before IOA elections saw him ejected from the organisation. 

KPS Gill: Became IHF president in 1994 and was accused of being autocratic. Matters reached a head after India failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. Gill was asked to step down. In April 2008, a TV sting operation caught IHF secretary K Jothikumaran accepting bribe to select a player. Calls for Gill's head became louder before IOA stepped in, suspending IHF the same year. 

Jagmohan Dalmiya: As secretary of BCCI, Dalmiya was accused of misappropriation of funds allocated for the 1996 World Cup. BCCI expelled him in 2006 but the courts exonerated him as the board could not prove charges
.