India, March 17 -- Ajay Singh, the president of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), along with vice-president Rajesh Bhandari, is set to contest for the president's position in the upcoming elections scheduled for March 28.

Bhandari, who also serves as the president of the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association, has submitted his nomination for the vice-president role.

The elections will cover 19 positions, including president, secretary, treasurer, eight zonal vice presidents, and eight zonal joint secretaries. A total of 29 candidates have registered for the BFI executive council elections, with the nomination period closing on Sunday, indicating potential contests for several positions. It has been reported that four candidates will vie for the roles of secretary-general and treasurer. The official candidate list is expected to be released on Monday, with nomination scrutiny taking place on Tuesday, according to the election timeline provided by returning officer Justice (retd) RK Gauba.

Additionally, it has been reported that the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) is preparing to file a legal challenge regarding the exclusion of former union minister Anurag Thakur from the electoral college.

The BFI elections gained attention after the HPBA nominated Thakur to the electoral college, anticipating his candidacy for the president's position against Ajay Singh, who is aiming for a third and final term. Thakur was deemed "ineligible" on the basis that he was not an "elected member of HPBA," which was interpreted as a "violation" of the federation's constitution and the National Sports Code, as stated by Singh while compiling the electoral college list on March 12. Another electoral list released by BFI secretary general Hemanta Kalita included Thakur's name. However, Gauba, after reviewing both lists, upheld the decision to exclude Thakur, citing the sports ministry's interpretation of the 'model election code' as part of the sports code during elections for the All India Chess Federation.

The HPBA has argued that this decision contradicts the federation's regulations. 

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