Former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur’s name was yet again rejected from the Boxing Federation of India’s electoral collage, rendering him ineligible to contest the upcoming polls scheduled for 21 August, 2025.

Thakur’s name was nominated by the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association along with Rajesh Bhandari.

While Bhandari’s name features in the electoral collage, Thakur finds his name omitted for violation of Boxing Federation of India’s Constitution.

“Mr Anurag Singh Thakur (Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association) – This nomination is in violation of Article 20 (iii) & (vii) of the Constitution of BFI approved by World Boxing,” the electoral collage document, in possession of Read, read.

As per Clause (iii) of Article 20 in BFI Constitution, the nominee attending the General Council Meeting shall be an elected member of the the State/UT member association during the AGM notified to BFI and held in presence of a BFI observer.

Thakur is not an elected member of the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association and hence his name was dropped from the electoral collage.

Clause (vii), meanwhile, states that the member should not be a government servant or holding public office. This once again puts Thakur in violation as an active Member of Parliament (MP).

The former BCCI President’s name was excluded by the interim committee, which was appointed by World Boxing to run daily affairs of Boxing Federation of India, earlier this year.

The interim committee is currently led by Fairuz Mohammed, who was instated into the position just four days ago after Ajay Singh – the former BFI President stepped down from the position to contest the upcoming polls.