Majority Bombay Parsi Punchayet board members vote to postpone elections

This picture has been used for representational purpose

On Tuesday, three out of the five current board members of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) voted to postpone the trusteeship election for two vacant seats on its board, scheduled to be held on March 14.

The decision, which has been taken in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation, was based on a majority vote of the three out of the current five board members - chairman Armaity Tirandaz, Viraf Mehta (son of ex-BPP Chairman Dinshaw Mehta) and Xerxes Dastur. The other two members - Kersi Randeria and Noshir Dadrawala believe "there is a political reason" for the postponement of the election, and expressed their dissent at the board meeting on Tuesday. Majority of the trustees are expected to move court on Wednesday, although Randeria and Dadrawala said in a joint statement that they "reserve their rights to oppose this decision in court."

Earlier in the day, Dadrawala had, in a WhatsApp message, lashed out at the 3-2 majority on the BPP board that has been prevailing ever since ex-BPP Chairman Yezdi Desai resigned. "Some trustees have become too comfortable with the current set up of five with three in the majority," said Dadrawala. "COVID seems a handy excuse. I fear there is a political reason," said Dadrawala. "I see Parsi senior citizens go for walks and visit restaurants and relatives. As leaders of the community, we need to take a stand in the best interest of the trust albeit with safety norms for voters. Ringing alarm bells and pressing panic buttons is not the solution," added Dadrawala.