Ranga Raju appointed ACA president

Ranga Raju appointed ACA president GVK Ranga Raju has been appointed president of the Andhra Cricket Association after an executive committee meeting at Vijayawada on Monday (January 16). The ACA, like other state associations, have been forced to elect new office bearers following the January 2-3 verdict of the Supreme Court, which besides axing the top brass of the Board of Control for

Cricket in India, also directed state associations to adhere to the Lodha recommendations. Ranga Raju takes over as president from outgoing president DVSS Somayajulu. Amongst those demitting office is erstwhile BCCI vice president Ganga Raju, who also held office at his home state association as Gen. Secretary. His position will now be taken by Arun Kumar.

ACA decided to fall in line with the Lodha directives on January 2, in the immediate aftermath of the events of January 2. The association had earlier, in a show of solidarity with BCCI's stance, adopted a defiant attitude towards the implementation of these reforms. "It was because everyone was together. But now when the verdict is out there is no question of defiance. We have been in BCCI long enough to know how to run administration," he had said. 

It remains to be seen, how the Lodha committee sees the conduct of these elections. The committee hadn't banned elections as long as the appointment of office bearers are not inconsistent with the court orders. But the court also said that it would be prudent for state associations to conduct the elections under the guidance of the administrators to be appointed by the apex court in its January 19 verdict.