Kaylan Chaubey wins AIFF election to succeed Patel in India

September 2 - Kalyan Chaubey succeeds Praful Patel as President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) after a landslide victory over electoral rival Bhaichung Bhutia.

A BJP political party leader from West Bengal, Chaubey beat Indian gambling legend Bhutia 33-1 at the polls today (Friday) to become the new AIFF President, only the third in the of the past 34 years.

His election came as no surprise after the vast majority of state associations backed Chaubey and only Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh backed Bhutia, the second most capped player in Indian football.< /p>

The latter will sit on the executive committee of the AIFF. He said: "I worked in football before the election and I will continue after."

A member of the ruling party, Chaubey will succeed Praful Patel, who stayed too long after the end of his third term in 2020 due to a court case over the constitution of the AIFF. Patel, a member of the FIFA Council, is also a politician, serving in parliament as a member of the Indian National Congress, across the political aisle in Chaubey.

In May, the Supreme Court of India removed Patel from the presidency and appointed a Committee of Trustees (CoA) to manage the day-to-day federation, amend the constitution and call new elections, bringing Patel's presidency to an end.

The CoA, however, deviated from a roadmap agreed between FIFA and the AFC and Zurich decided to suspend India in accordance with Article 14 of the FIFA Statutes, a most ignominious legacy of the Patel era.

The election is expected to give the AIFF a fresh start, but with Chaubey's ties to the ruling party, it remains to be seen how he will restore order to the home of football in Dwarka and implement a essential governance reform.

His immediate concern will be the U-17 Women's World Cup, which India will host in October. This is the second time the country has hosted a FIFA tournament after the 2017 U-17 World Cup.

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