New election schedule for AIFF executive committee released; FIFA ban expected to be revoked soon

Returning officer Umesh Sinha in charge of handling the election procedure of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Executive Committee announced that the revised dates for the elections are September 2. 

Aspiring candidates can file fresh nominations from August 25 to August 27, in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling on Monday, August 22.

On Monday, the Supreme Court terminated the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to adhere to the world's football governing body FIFA's demands of removing 'third party influence' in the AIFF and also postponed the AIFF election by a week.

Hours after the SC order, the returning officer issued a fresh notice, outlining the process afresh.

The nominations for the posts can be filed between Thursday and Saturday while the scrutiny will be done on Sunday (August 28).

The candidates, whose nominations are deemed valid, will have a chance to withdraw the nomination if they want, on August 29 while the returning officer shall prepare the final list of contesting candidates and put it on the AIFF website on August 30.

The polls would be held on September 2 at the AIFF headquarters in New Delhi and the results could be announced either on September 2 or 3, according to the returning officer's notice.

World football governing body FIFA earlier suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on August 15 for "undue third-party interference", jeopardising the U17 Women World Cup, which the country is set to host in October.

The revocation of the AIFF ban and holding of the U-17 Women's World Cup in the country depended on CoA's exit and the highest court on Monday directed that the day-to-day affairs will be run by acting secretary general Sunando Dhar.

As per the revised order, there will be no "eminent footballers" as individual voters, something that violates the FIFA Statuettes.

The implication of this order means that former captain Bhaichung Bhutia will have to come from a state unit in order to contest the election, unlike the earlier times when he filed as an eminent footballer.