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Rohit Pawar moves Supreme Court over MCA polls stay order
The apex council elections, scheduled for January 6, 2026, were halted following petitions alleging serious irregularities in the preparation of the voters’ list.
PUNE: Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Friday said that he has approached the Supreme Court, after the Bombay high court stayed the MCA apex council elections. Pawar made this comment while speaking to the media in Pune, where he has been participating in the civic election campaigns of candidates of the NCP and NCP (SP).
The apex council elections, scheduled for January 6, 2026, were halted following petitions alleging serious irregularities in the preparation of the voters’ list. The petitioners, including former Indian cricketer and BJP leader Kedar Jadhav, claimed that nearly 400 new members were added abruptly to the electoral roll without following due process, raising questions over the fairness of the election. Hindustan Times had published a report on this on January 1, highlighting how the voter list sparked allegations of favouritism.
Taking note of the allegations, the Bombay high court on January 5 expressed concern over the lack of transparency and procedural lapses, and passed an interim order staying the elections until further directions.
Reacting to the development, Pawar said that cricket administration should not be dragged into political battles and maintained that all processes were conducted lawfully. He asserted that he would pursue all available legal remedies to defend what he described as a legitimate and democratic process.
“As a cricketer, I respect Kedar Jadhav, but some people behind him are playing politics and I am objecting to that. This started from the time we changed the logo of the association as a certain group of people did not like it.” Pawar said.
At the same time, he also dismissed the allegations against him as politically motivated, claiming that his opponents were attempting to stall the elections rather than address genuine governance issues within the association.
The dispute has triggered intense discussions, both within sporting and political circles, with the outcome likely to have wider implications for the regulation and conduct of elections in sports bodies. A possible move to the apex court would take the matter to the country’s highest judicial forum, potentially setting an important precedent for cricket administration in India.
