Four candidates, including three current officials of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and a Congress leader, have entered the race to succeed the late Amol Kale as MCA President. The election, scheduled for July 23, follows Kale’s passing on June 10.
As of the Tuesday deadline for nominations, election officer J.S. Saharia confirmed the submission of four applications. These candidates are MCA secretary Ajinkya Naik, vice-president Sanjay Naik, T20 League chairman Vihang Sarnaik, and Congress leader Bhushan Patil.
The forthcoming election has drawn attention due to the political affiliations of the candidates. Ajinkya Naik and Sanjay Naik, despite previous differences, enjoy support from local cricket clubs. Ajinkya comes from a politically active family, while Sanjay has connections with BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar of the BJP.
Meanwhile, Vihang Sarnaik’s father is a Shiv Sena legislator, and Bhushan Patil is a senior Congress figure in Mumbai, having contested against Union Minister Piyush Goyal in past elections.
The political landscape surrounding the MCA election is set to intensify further, with influential figures expected to discuss matters following the state MLC election on July 12. Notably, figures like Prasad Lad and Milind Narvekar, close to key political leaders, opted against nomination due to their involvement in concurrent political activities.
The involvement of such prominent political figures underscores the significance of the MCA presidency beyond cricket, reflecting broader political dynamics within Maharashtra’s sports administration.
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