Asiatic Tomorrow panel sweeps Asiatic Society elections

A panel led by former Rajya Sabha MP Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe won the presidency, all four vice-presidents’ posts, the secretary’s post, all seven seats on the Scrutinising Committee and all six Managing Committee seats that were up for election

Mumbai: Asiatic Tomorrow, a panel led by former Rajya Sabha MP Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe, swept the Asiatic Society of Mumbai (ASM) elections on Saturday, winning all key posts and handing a decisive defeat to the rival Save Asiatic panel led by senior journalist and former Rajya Sabha MP Kumar Ketkar. The election, held after an eight-month delay due to legal disputes, marks a significant change in the leadership of the 222-year-old institution.

A panel led by former Rajya Sabha MP Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe won the presidency, all four vice-presidents’ posts, the secretary’s post, all seven seats on the Scrutinising Committee and all six Managing Committee seats that were up for election. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The Sahasrabuddhe panel won the presidency, all four vice-presidents’ posts, the secretary’s post, all seven seats on the Scrutinising Committee and all six Managing Committee seats that were up for election.

A total of 517 members voted in the election, which was contested by three panels. Sahasrabuddhe was elected president with 349 votes, while Ketkar secured 147.

Following the declaration of the results, supporters of the winning panel gathered at the Asiatic Society hall, raising slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.

The victorious panel also swept the seven-member Scrutinising Committee. The winners were Abhijit Mulye, Amol Jadhav, Dattatray Panchwagh, Madhavi Narsalay, Malhar Gokhale, Sneha Nagarkar and Umang Kale.

The four vice-presidents elected were actor and former MP Chandraprakash M Dwivedi, actor and former MP Nitish Bharadwaj, Ramesh Patange and former University of Mumbai vice-chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh. Vivek Ganpule was elected secretary.

The outcome is a major setback for the Ketkar-led panel, which failed to secure any of the principal posts despite fielding a prominent slate of candidates.

The election was among the most closely watched in the society’s recent history because of the participation of politically backed panels and a sharp increase in the number of eligible voters.

Several prominent personalities cast their votes, including NCP (SP) working president and MP Supriya Sule, former BJP MLA Bharati Lavekar, former deputy chairperson of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe, Maharashtra Lokayukta Justice Vidyasagar Kanade and publisher-writer Ramdas Bhatkal.

Polling was affected by heavy rain through the day. The Sahasrabuddhe panel arranged transport for voters, while its campaign also received visible support from right-wing activists and volunteers present outside the polling venue.

The Ketkar panel objected to some members being allowed to vote without producing identity cards, but the election officer overruled the objection. The election was conducted under the supervision of the Charity Commissioner, with K.D. Talokar serving as the returning officer.

The contest was centred on competing visions for the future of the institution.

Addressing the media after his victory, Sahasrabuddhe said, “We are focusing on administrative reform and ending what is called ‘ideological gatekeeping’.”

He said the new leadership would prioritise institutional modernisation, digitisation of the society’s collections, greater public engagement, better utilisation of the historic building and increased participation of members in decision-making.

“We are going to focus on youth and we are trying to engage more and more youth with this society,” he added.

Saturday’s election follows months of legal uncertainty. The polls had been delayed after disputes over the composition of the governing body. A key turning point came when the Charity Commissioner rejected a change report relating to five committee members, clearing the way for the election.

Under the society’s rules, members elect six office-bearers for a three-year term and seven Scrutinising Committee members for five years, while the 15-member Managing Committee is elected in phases.

Elections for the remaining five Managing Committee seats are scheduled for September. With the Asiatic Tomorrow panel now controlling all major offices, it is expected to enter those elections from a position of considerable strength.