Poonawalla has a cakewalk

Vijay Shirke bites dust in the RWITC elections on Thursday

MUMBAI: Vacant seats and an eerie silence was testimony to a low-profile election as only 852 out of the 1,500 odd voting members turned up for the 92nd Royal Western India Turf Club’s annual general body meeting at the Mahalaxmi race course on Thursday.

With Vijay Mallya pulling out of the race, Cyrus Poonawalla had a cakewalk emerging winners and bagged control over the fiefdom of the RWITC for yet another year. In the only upset in this edition of the election was the defeat of Vijay Shirke, while new candidates Capt Jamshed Appoo and Jaydev Mody got the nod from all the members.

“The poll was all over much before the election and it was just a formality,” said one of the members.

In another twist in the tail, it was the first time in four years that Vivek Jain failed to maintain his good run and Poonawalla hit the highest with a whopping 649 of the 830 valid votes. Both, Appoo and Mody signaled their full support to the committee. “I will give my best to the committee,” said Jaydev Mody, who was successful in his second attempt, while, Capt Jamshed Appoo, too, sounded his cooperation.

On his defeat, Vijay Shirke said: “It happens. There is always a winner and a loser.” Cyrus Poonawalla was retained chairman of the RWITC, while Vivek Jain remained the chairman of the Stewards committee. Jamshed Appoo and Shyam Ruia were included in the stewards.