India's Olympic Association shrugged off its suspension from the International Olympic Committee by pressing ahead with a vote to install the organiser of the scandal-plagued 2010 Commonwealth Games as its new head.
A day after the IOC ordered the scrapping of India's internal elections, the IOA insisted it had no option but to hold the polls in which the outcome is a formality.
Lalit Bhanot was set to be elected unopposed as secretary-general even though he is on bail on corruption charges in connection with his organisation of the New Delhi Commonwealth Games which cost more than $7 billion, three times over budget.