AIFF to hold general elections on December 20; Chaubey-led panel gets extension

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will hold its general elections on December 20, setting a date for the election of its new office-bearers and Executive Committee after a period of governance changes and deliberations over its constitutional framework. The decision was taken at a Special General Body Meeting in Kolkata on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by members of the AIFF Executive Committee, representatives of its member associations and officials from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation. The General Body also appointed Rajeev Sharma, former State Election Commissioner of Haryana, as the Electoral Officer responsible for overseeing the election process.

Polls on December 20

“The General Body resolved that the General Elections for the All India Football Federation will be conducted on December 20, 2026,” the AIFF said after the meeting.

The election will determine the federation’s leadership for its next term, including the Executive Committee that will oversee the administration of Indian football, national teams, domestic competitions and development programmes.

The AIFF had last gone to the polls on September 2, 2022, when former India goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey was elected president for a four-year term. Karnataka football administrator N A Haris was elected senior vice-president.

Chaubey panel extended

The General Body also decided that the current Executive Committee would remain in office until December 30 or until the newly elected committee assumes charge, whichever is earlier. The arrangement gives the federation continuity during the electoral process and transition to the next administration.

Chaubey’s four-year term had originally been due to conclude in September. The election timetable was subsequently pushed to December as the federation worked to align its governance structure with its revised constitution and the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. FIFA had said it had no objection to the elections being postponed from September to December for the compliance process.

Governance changes

The December election follows a prolonged process surrounding the AIFF Constitution that had also reached the Supreme Court. In September 2025, the court directed the federation to adopt its revised Constitution and confirmed that the Executive Committee elected in 2022 could complete its term before fresh elections were held.

FIFA and the AFC had similarly maintained that the existing Executive Committee was entitled to complete its full 2022-26 tenure. The international bodies had been closely following the constitutional process after the governance crisis that led to FIFA temporarily suspending the AIFF in 2022.

The revised governance framework includes provisions governing the composition of the Executive Committee, tenure limits, age limits and representation of former players and women in the federation’s administration.

FIFA, AFC at meeting

The presence of FIFA and AFC representatives at Sunday’s Special General Body Meeting was significant given their involvement in the AIFF’s governance process. Both international bodies had remained engaged with the federation as it worked to bring its Constitution and electoral framework into conformity with the applicable governance requirements.

The December 20 vote will now mark the next major stage in that process. Rajeev Sharma will oversee the electoral exercise, while the incumbent administration will remain responsible for the federation until the transition to the newly elected Executive Committee is completed.