Bombay High Court Steps In to Hear Dispute Over Mumbai Cricket Association Election
Mumbai: The upcoming Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) election, scheduled for November 12, has landed in the Bombay High Court after a group of members, including former executive committee member Shripad Halbe, challenged the election process. The petitioners allege that the voter list was improperly expanded to include over 155 cricket clubs in violation of established rules.
During a hearing on Tuesday, a bench of Justices Riyaz Chagla and Farhan Dubash directed the MCA election officer not to hastily publish the final candidate list and ordered that the current status quo be maintained. The court will continue to hear the matter on Thursday, when it is expected to provide further directions on the election proceedings.
The petitioners claim that their objections to the voter list were dismissed by the election officer without any explanation before the final candidate list was released on October 24. They have urged the court to compel the officer to provide a transparent justification for the rejections.
In response, the election officer maintained that all objections filed between October 17 and 20 were thoroughly reviewed before the list was finalized. The officer has assured the court that a detailed explanation for the decisions will be provided to the petitioners.
The MCA election has garnered significant media and public attention, partly due to the high-profile candidates in the fray. According to a report by Loksatta, prominent political figures including BJP’s Prasad Lad, NCP’s Jitendra Awhad, and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Milind Narvekar are contesting. Vihang Sarnaik, son of Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, has also filed a nomination.
Adding to the competitive field are current MCA president Ajinkya Naik and former India women’s cricket captain Diana Edulji, who is the only cricketer contesting for a key post in this election.
The Bombay High Court has intervened in the MCA election dispute over allegations of 155 clubs being improperly added to the voter list ahead of the Nov 12 poll.