IHF blows whistle early, calls for the polls on May 23

One theory is that Gill wants to exploit the positive mood amongst the state units and affiliated members to retain control of the federation. At the last AGM of the federation, held in Hyderabad during the PHL, Gill had the support of almost all the members, despite several objections being raised by senior vice-president Narinder Batra.

Interestingly, Batra has challenged the elections in the Delhi High Court, in addition to his earlier petitions against the administrative malpractices and financial irregularities.

Holding the elections at short notice also gives Gill and his supporters enough time to keep their flock together, while denying their detractors any time to mobilise support. Last time, too, the rivals could not mobilise their resources as time was running out.

Another reason for the urgency in elections by Gill may be to counter the Himachal Pradesh Sports Bill, passed today, which effectively prohibits non-residents from holding any post in state sports associations. However, Gill reportedly owns property in the state that enables him to contest elections, though there is no clarification on this issue either.

A fourth term for Gill may not be out of order, though his repeated insistence not to seek re-election means he may try and appoint someone close on the chair before quitting.

However, Gill appears to have played his cards carefully. The only precondition for holding a special AGM and elections is a 21-day notice period, which has been followed since the members were informed late Monday night.