Kolkata: Resolving months of administrative uncertainty, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Sunday officially scheduled its elections for December 20 to elect a new slate of office-bearers and executive committee members.

The announcement followed a Special General Body Meeting (SGBM) held in Kolkata. The high-level meeting was attended by AIFF Executive Committee members, delegates from state associations, and representatives from global and continental governing bodies FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

To manage the voting procedure, the General Body appointed Rajeev Sharma, former state election commissioner of Haryana, as the electoral officer.

In addition, the federation resolved to extend the tenure of the incumbent executive committee through December 30, or until the newly elected administration formally takes charge—whichever occurs first.

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The upcoming polls come at a critical time for Indian football as the AIFF works to align its administrative framework with its own constitution alongside FIFA and AFC statutory directives. The presence of international football delegates at the Kolkata meeting underscores the global bodies' close monitoring of the federation's governance reforms.

The AIFF last conducted elections in September 2022, when Kalyan Chaubey was chosen as president alongside senior vice-president N. A. Haris of Karnataka. The incoming executive body will assume leadership over India's national team programs, domestic leagues, and grassroots development initiatives for the next official cycle. (PTI)