Former Sports Minister and Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur, regained his eligibility to contest the Boxing Federation of India's (BFI) presidential election after the Himachal Pradesh High Court stayed his disqualification from the Electoral College.

The court also directed the BFI to extend the nomination deadline to facilitate his candidature. Thakur was initially deemed ineligible following a March 7 order by BFI President Ajay Singh, which stipulated that only elected members could participate in the electoral process.

Thakur had sought to represent the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association in the Electoral College but was deemed ineligible as he was not considered an elected member.  

However, on Thursday, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel ruled that the Electoral College approved by Returning Officer R.K. Gauba on March 13, which excluded Thakur, should be reconsidered.

"is prima facie bad and not sustainable in law." "In this backdrop, balance of convenience is also in favour of the petitioners and if interim, as prayed for by the petitioners is not granted, then irreparable loss shall be caused to them," the order stated.

"...as an ad-interim measure, this Court stays the operation of Notice, dated 07.03.2025, as well as the rejection of nomination of one of the two nominated members...namely, Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur..." The BFI chief said he would decide his next course of action after going through the 34-page order.

"We are still studying the order and based on legal advice, we will appeal the decision," Singh told PTI.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to recognize Anurag Thakur and another Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) official, Rajesh Bhandari, as "valid nominations for the Electoral College." The court ruled that the March 7 order issued by BFI President Ajay Singh was "without any authority and without any power."  

This order cleared the way for Thakur to contest the BFI presidential election, scheduled for March 28, by instructing the federation to "extend the last date of submission of nomination" to allow him to file his papers. Additionally, Thakur has been permitted to represent Himachal Pradesh in the Annual General Meeting and "fully participate therein." HPBA has asserted that Thakur has been an elected member of the state unit since 2008 and has served in various capacities, including as chairman.  

The BFI elections have faced significant delays and controversies. Originally due before February 2, the process only gained momentum after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed an ad-hoc committee, a move that BFI challenged in the Delhi High Court. The court later stayed the ad-hoc panel's authority.  

The Himachal Pradesh High Court's order comes a day after the Delhi High Court also stayed the March 7 order but allowed the election process to continue, with the final outcome subject to its ruling on a plea filed by the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association.