Sharad Pawar remains undefeated, is MCA president... again

Mumbai Cricket Association president Sharad Pawar defeated his challenger and outgoing vice president Dr Vijay Patil to retain his post in the MCA elections on Wednesday

Sharad Pawar retained his president's post of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Wednesday beating Dr Vijay Patil, the head of the Cricket First group. 

Patil, though, put up a brave fight against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo as he went down against the veteran politician by a slender margin. 

Sharad Pawar flash the victory sign after results of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) elections in Mumbai were announced on Wednesday. Pic/PTI 

The Pawar-Mahaddalkar panel made a virtual clean sweep for all positions  with only two candidates -- Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar and Pravin Amre -- of the Cricket First group getting nominated for the Joint Secretary and Managing Committee posts respectively. 

Pawar defeated Patil 172-145 in a straight contest at the highly politicised polls to retain the reins of the association that he headed for 14 years from 2001-2010 and got elected unanimously in 2012.

Patil was backed by Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray.

Former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar was elected as vice-president along with BJP Mumbai chief Ashish Shellar.

The ruling Bal Mahaddalkar head Ravi Savant lost the Joint Secretary's post. Sitting Joint Secretary Dr PV Shetty retained his post. Nitin Dalal beat Mayank Khandwala for the Treasurer's post.

Pawar's re-election means a politician remains at the helm of MCA, an association that has produced more than 60 Test cricketers, for more than two decades barring a brief period when Ravi Savant became its president following the untimely demise of then MCA chief Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Two former Test cricketers, Lalchand Rajput and Abey Kuruvilla who contested from Patil's panel, bit the dust.

Kuruvilla contested for the vice-president's post while Rajput was vying to regain the position of joint secretary that he had occupied in the past.

(With Agency Inputs)

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