The Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday filed his nomination for the post of president in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), thus denting the chances of Gopinath Munde coming in as the next MCA chief.
A senior BJP leader, Munde entered the fray for the top MCA post on Tuesday. A day later, NCP’s Pawar confirmed his expected foray as an independent candidate.
“Yes, Sharad Pawar has filed his nomination, which we have submitted to the returning officer. It has been proposed by me and seconded by Ravi Savant (incumbent MCA president),” PV Shetty, MCA joint secretary, told HT.
Pawar, who is the former International Cricket Council (ICC), BCCI and MCA president, has overwhelming support in the MCA. Powerful groups within MCA, such as Bal Mahaddalkar panel, headed by Ravi Savant, and Cricket First, headed by Vijay Patil, are in favour of Pawar. “Yes, we have pledged our support to Pawar,” said Nadim Memon of Cricket First.