Sharad Pawar panel wins 12 posts in MCA elections, Ajinkya Naik elected Prez unopposed
Mumbai, Nov 12 – Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) voters chose a new managing committee on Wednesday, with the dominant Sharad Pawar panel taking 12 of the 16 contested posts.
The most eye‑catching outcome was that incumbent president Ajinkya S Naik stayed in the chair unopposed, a result that many say was sealed after a swift conversation between Naik, former cricket boss Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Several high‑profile names pulled out before the ballot. Former India women’s captain Diana Edulji, BJP MLC Prasad Lad and others gave up their bids for the presidency. Jitendra Awhad, a NCP MLA and former minister, vied for vice‑president, while Shiv Sena MLC Milind Narvekar ran for an Apex Council spot.
Vote counts saw Awhad win the vice‑president slot, beating Navin Krishna Shetty 201‑155. Umesh Khanwilkar captured the secretary position with 227 votes to Shahalam Shaikh’s 122. Joint‑secretary Nilesh Bhosale edged out his opponent 228‑129. In the treasurer race, Surendra Shewale of the Pawar panel fell short, receiving 119 votes against Arman Mallick’s 228.
Council seats were filled by Pradeep Gupta and Kenny Bharat Sachidanand, both representing the Pawar side. Apex Council seats went to Vignesh Kadam, Nadeem Menon, Milind Narvekar (who retained his spot) and Vikas Repale. Additional Apex Council members – Pramod Yadav, Suraj Samant, Sandeep Vichare and independent Neel Sawant – were elected. Rajdipkumar Gupta became chairman of the governing council without opposition.
The sweep in Mumbai’s cricket governance came after the top leaders’ meeting, which prompted several potential contenders to withdraw, smoothing the way for the Sharad Pawar panel’s clean sweep.
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