Former secretary Sanjay Naik pipped his rival Iqbal Shaikh by a handsome margin of 155 votes to be elected as the vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Friday.
Naik, contesting for the Sharad Pawar-Ashish Shelar Group, got 223 of the 291 votes while Shaikh garnered just 68.
When MCA went to polls in October, there was no contest for the vice-president’s post as the incumbent Amol Kale fought the president’s elections—where he subsequently beat Sandeep Patil—while Naveen Shetty, who was the only candidate to file his nomination for the vice-president’s post, had withdrawn his candidature.
“This is a victory for my group. This is a victory for big names on our panel—Ashish Shelar and Sharad Pawar. Not more than 150 people were expected to come so we had to see to it that at least over 275 people turn up. A total of 291 turned up and that too in very short notice,” said Naik.
Naik, who was elected unopposed for the secretary’s post in the last term, said he wasn’t nervous while contesting elections for the first time.
{{/usCountry}}Naik, who was elected unopposed for the secretary’s post in the last term, said he wasn’t nervous while contesting elections for the first time.
{{/usCountry}}“I had the result in my hand in October where most of our candidates had won. So, looking at that result, I was confident. I have worked as secretary for three years. It was a litmus test for my work and nothing else. And the feedback which I got while campaigning had given me confidence that we will be through this time. The margin was a bit surprising but not a shock.”
On having been an office-bearer previously, he added: “It will help immensely. I have the experience (of) what is expected from an office-bearer.”
Shaikh was gracious in defeat. “The result didn’t matter. More important is that the elections took place,” he said.