AIFF Elections: Returning Officer finds all 20 nomination papers in order after scrutiny

The 20 nomination papers pertain to two candidates each for the posts of president, vice president and treasurer, and 14 for the executive committee members. "After conducting scrutiny of nomination forms for the posts of president, vice president, treasurer and executive committee members, all 20 nomination forms have been found correct," RO Umesh Sinha said. Elections are to be held for the posts of one president, one vice president, one treasurer and 14 executive committee members.

Six former players -- four male and two women -- will be co-opted later as executive committee members with voting rights. Candidates can withdraw their nomination papers before 1pm on Tuesday. The top three top posts of the president, vice president and treasurer could see straight fights between two candidates with the legendary Bhaichung Bhutia up against former goalkeeper and frontrunner Kalyan Chaubey as the presidential candidates.

The electoral college of 34 representatives from the state associations have already been issued by the returning officer. Rajasthan association president Manvendra Singh, a Congress politician, entered the fray on Saturday to contest against N A Haris for the lone vice-president's post. Haris is the president of Karnataka FA and a sitting Congress MLA from the state.

Manvendra's state association had seconded the candidature of Bhutia. Andhra Pradesh state association president Gopalakrishna Kosaraju, who had proposed Bhutia as the presidential candidate, had on Friday written a letter to withdraw his candidature for the treasurer's post against Kipa Ajay of Arunachal Pradesh. But sources said he had not filled up a form to withdraw and hence, his candidature is still there.