The Bangalore Turf Club politics has reached the depths of despair. The internecine quarrels and faction fighting is at its nadir with the High Grounds Police summoning the club to appear before it to enquire into the charges that Stewards were indulging in betting. The Articles of Association of BTC prohibits its managing committee members from betting. The move comes after 83-year old G Krishnappa who is one of the oldest members of the club had complained to the Chief Minister of Karnataka that things were not hunky dory at BTC and that its functionaries were not above board and a probe into their activities was imperative.

Faction fighting has been the bane of the club. The club has not made progress because each faction is constantly trying to pull the other down. The club has been divided on caste lines with the election of the members to the club depending on which caste the person standing for the election belongs to. Unlike in other clubs where membership is offered for a fee or on the invitation of the Managing Committee, becoming a member of BTC is the most difficult thing in India. There are 350 members and if five or more members die during the year, elections are held to fill up these vacancies in the month of March. The general body elects the members and as such member-aspirants have to make any number of trips to the houses of members, beg for their indulgence with gifts and parties. Unless one belongs to the powerful factions and is supported by these power groups, there is no hope for an outsider. The captive electorate tends to vote only for those sons and son-in-laws of the existing members. An outsider getting in is an odd exception but one getting elected from outside the family cricles is somebody powerful and backed by huge money and influence.

The turf club has been beset with many problems. In the past too, the faction-ridden club made no significant progress because any move by one group was vetoed by the other. This included accepting government offer of land for a new race course or such mundane decisions as buying a giant screen display board in front of the Grand Stand. The whole thing is embroiled in controversy that though Bangalore was the first club to use this facility on a hire basis, this has been dispensed with barring the Derby day while every other club has installed this facility on a permanent basis. Such is the politics of the club that every developmental activity is viewed with suspicion and allegation that a deal for private gain has been struck.

Be that as it may, this year the club politics took a dive for the worse, with the newly elected committee showing intolerance to any point of view other than its own. Some of the young turks were impatient to force their writ on others that it resulted in lot of disenchantment and disgruntlement within the club ranks. The committee did not hesitate to think twice before suspending 83-year old Krishnappa for two years for raising his voice. The problem started with the election of URBB Managing Director Zeyn Mirza as a Steward when the spirit behind banning of race horse owners as Stewards was because in the past these people had taken decision to suit their own personal interests. Zeyn got in on a technicality because though he did the functions of an owner, he was not an owner of the horse as he was an employee of URBB and was not a relative of Dr Vijay Mallya to attract disqualification under the Articles of Association.

Krishnappa raised an issue that Zeyn was the owner of a horse for a brief period when he was on the board of stewards as per the records in the race club and that he should be disqualified. After much acrimony, legal opinion again cleared him on a technicality stating that he was not a registered owner under BTC Rules of Racing which demands that all race horse owners should apply for a license and that they should appear before the Stewards.

Krishnappa’s crusade resulted in him writing letters to various forums including seeking an audience with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In his letter to the CM he had alleged several wrong doings on the part of the Stewards and that they were also indulging in betting. The Chief Minister, who is not favorably disposed towards the club, has ordered a police enquiry thus bringing the image of the sport to its lowest point.

Faction fighting has been the bane of the club but at least in times of crisis, these things were buried for the cause of the sport. However, this time thanks to the supercilious attitude of some members of the committee, the problem has been aggravated. The committee and club members don’t seem to be unduly perturbed by the impending eviction case pending in Supreme Court; a hostile government, income tax claims on TDS and tote betting which are threatening the edifice of the sport.

Surely the signs are ominous for the club.