Former Board of Control for Cricket in India president Raj Singh Dungarpur on Tuesday said he would seek re-elections as president of the Cricket Club of India even though he is facing a series of charges from the current management.
"I have been the president for 14 times and I am going to contest the elections again and I am confident I will be elected unaninmously for the 15th straight year," Dungarpur said in Mumbai.
Dungarpur's, or Rajbhai as he is affectionately called, name was synonymous with the CCI before he unceremoniously quit as president earlier this year after a series of charges including misappropriation of funds.
"When I proposed that floodlights be installed at the CCI, the idea was vehemently opposed by some members. But I insisted that we should go ahead with it. I chose Kapil Dev because I respect him like this whole country does. He has installed lights at so many associations across the country at discounted rates. See how many matches were are getting because of it," he said.
Under Dungarpur's guidance, the CCI, which had lost its pre-eminence as a Test centre when international cricket action shifted to the Wankhede stadium, regained that status by hosting matches, including the final of last year's ICC Champions Trophy.
The 71-year-old has served Indian cricket with great distinction and occupied almost all important posts. He played first class cricket for 16 years for Rajasthan and then served the BCCI in various capacities, including president.
Dungarpur added that his services to Indian cricket didn't go unnoticed when BCCI President Sharad Pawar invited him for board meetings even though the CCI executive committee had barred him from representing them.
"I was asked by Pawar that as a former president of the BCCI I should attend the meeting as a special invitee. This happened not once but thrice. This was a big slap on their [CCI management] face," he said.
One of things, Dungarpur assured, he would do on being elected as the president, would be to make the club member-friendly.
"I want to make the club member-friendly once again. I want to build a fresh CCI. I don't know why they have put so many new rules in place," he said.
He further declared that nobody could separate him from CCI. "In my blood CCI reigns supreme and it will remain supreme," said the veteran administrator.
