Members of the eastern regional chapter of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) have backed their initial candidate for the post of the president of the association amid an ongoing row over the selection of the head of the industry body.

At a meeting of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India on Saturday, Sudesh Poddar, originally selected as the candidate for president, was again backed up by the members for the post. His appointment was not accepted at the executive committee meeting of the FHRAI in New Delhi last month.

Sources said the regional chapter would convey its decision to the national association. Being registered under the Companies Act, the regional chapter could also consider going to the NCLT after seeking legal opinion if the decision is not accepted by the national body.

The FHRAI has four regional chapters — east, west, north and south — with the president selected from one region every year by rotation. This year, it was the turn of the eastern region.

In 2010, the FHRAI had brought about changes in its constitution, whereby a member of the FHRAI executive committee had to compulsorily retire after eight years. After a period of two years, the person can again be nominated to the board for another term not exceeding four years.

Accordingly, in 2018 eight executive committee members were due to retire from the FHRAI board, including the immediate past president.

However, differences emerged at an executive committee meeting in Mumbai in 2017. The meeting had proposed that the clause under which the existing members retire should be removed so that they can remain on the board in perpetuity. The members from the eastern chapter had called for deliberation and discussion before the removal of the clause.

Sources said that subsequently at the October meet, the retiring members garnered support and passed the clause by numerical strength despite dissent from the east.

“They have elected the other office bearers to form the board of the FHRAI, bypassing the election of the president and have made Gurbax Singh Kohli from west, the interim president of FHRAI. The honorary secretary and the joint honorary secretary were also chosen from the western zone. After east, next being term of western zone, we will have president and major office bearers from western zone for two consecutive years, in gross violation of FHRAI constitution,” a member from the east said.