The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has officially begun the process for its 2026 Executive Council elections, and the political twists characteristic of Indian sports administration are already unfolding.
The biggest shock came when current IOA President P.T. Usha failed to secure a place in the women’s category of the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections.
The SOM Election Results
The four elected women candidates are:
- Anju Bobby George – 53 votes
- Rani Rampal – 50 votes
- Dola Banerjee – 45 votes
- Saina Nehwal – 43 votes
P.T. Usha received only 40 out of 80 votes, finishing fifth and missing out on election.
Usha’s Pre-Poll Complaint Against Dola Banerjee
A day before the election, P.T. Usha filed a formal complaint with the Electoral Officer alleging violations of the Model Code of Conduct.
Usha objected to a WhatsApp message circulated through an account bearing former archer Dola Banerjee’s name. The message promoted the ‘New Bharat Panel’ and explicitly asked voters to elect four named candidates, providing their ballot serial numbers and roll numbers.
Model code violations cited: Usha argued that the message violated Clause 1.9 (prohibiting publicity or vote solicitation via new media/social networks) as well as Clauses 1.2 and 1.3, which mandate fair play, dignity, and moderation in campaigning.
Post-Election Fallout: Allegations of Fraud
Following her defeat, Usha alleged that the voting process was fraudulent and appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for intervention.
In a special report in The Tribune, Usha claimed a “big fraud” was orchestrated to remove her from leadership:
“Winning and losing is normal, but results have to be fair. I am certain that this result is fraudulent. I cannot finish fifth; I should be at the top. I know that I polled over 25 single-preference votes… Mathematically, it is impossible for her (Anju) to get 53 votes!”
Usha’s complaints also questioned:
Returning Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava: Alleging a failure to act on at least four separate complaints regarding Model Code violations.
Executive Members: Naming Bhupinder Singh Bajwa and Yogeshwar Dutt for improper vote solicitation.
Badminton Association of India (BAI): Accusing BAI Secretary Sanjay Mishra of forcing voters to verify their ballots using email acknowledgements.
Can the AFI Provide Another Route?
Even after losing the SOM election, Usha had a potential fallback path to the IOA General Assembly via an affiliated National Sports Federation (NSF)—specifically, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
Under current guidelines, 30 eligible NSFs are entitled to two representatives each (one male, one female). However, sources within the AFI indicate the federation is unlikely to nominate her, which could effectively close her final route back into the General Assembly.
As of now, the Sports Ministry, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), and IOC have yet to issue official statements on Usha’s allegations.