Pawar–Shelar alliance retains dominance in MCA elections

Mumbai: The powerful duo of NCP chief and former ICC chairman Sharad Pawar and Mumbai BJP leader Ashish Shelar once again emerged victorious in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) elections, maintaining their stronghold over the body.

The Apex Council elections saw the Pawar–Shelar camp sweep the polls with the backing of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Ajinkya Naik re-elected as President
Earlier this week, Ajinkya Naik, backed by the Pawar group, had retained the post of MCA President unopposed. The latest results have further consolidated the alliance’s control through victories in other key office-bearer positions.

Big margins in key contests
The Pawar–Shelar panel won 12 of the 16 posts, including those of Secretary, Vice-President, and Treasurer.

Secretary: Dr. Unmesh Khanvilkar defeated Shahalam Shaikh by 227–129 votes.

Vice-President: NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Jitendra Awhad, a close confidant of Pawar, beat Navin Shetty by 201–155 votes.

Treasurer: Armaan Malik retained his position, defeating Surendra Shevale 234–119.

Joint Secretary: Nilesh Bhonsale triumphed over Gaurav Payyade, who was supported by the Pawar–Shelar camp, by 228–128 votes.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) secretary Milind Narvekar was re-elected as a member of the Apex Council.

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Prominent voters at the polls
Out of 375 eligible members, 362 cast their votes. The voter list featured several cricketing legends including Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Diana Edulji. Other notable voters included Ajit Agarkar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Zaheer Khan, Nilesh Kulkarni, Paras Mhambrey, Jatin Paranjape, as well as political figures Sharad Pawar, Ashish Shelar, Aaditya Thackeray, Ramdas Athawale, and Nana Patole.