MCA president hopeful Vijay Patil geared up for taking on Pawar, expresses regret over rival's comments against DY Patil Stadium
It rained heavily on Sunday afternoon, but nothing could stop 100-odd Mumbai Cricket Association voters from going to Matoshree to hear Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray talk cricket.
The Shiv Sena, which has thrown its weight behind the 'Cricket First' panel led by Dr Vijay Patil, is all geared up for a showdown with the Sharad Pawar-led Bal Mahaddalkar group, which has the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Presidential hopeful Patil's panel comprises top Sena leaders Pratap Sarnaik (MLA) and Rahul Shewale (MP). The Pawar camp has been bolstered by presence of Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ashish Shelar.
Thackeray, who did not meet the waiting media outside his bungalow, spoke to the voters and requested them to back the Cricket First panel. "We had a good meeting with Uddhav Thackerayji. All members were there where he told them to support us. Uddhavji, too, feels that the MCA needs a change of guard. Being a cricket lover, he has wholeheartedly given us his blessings. We have presented our blueprint on taking Mumbai cricket forward," Cricket First leader Patil said.
Patil, however, avoided terming it a political battle. "I have never been a part of the electoral process, except in the MCA. I am not into politics. It is just that there are a couple of members in our panel from Shiv Sena (Sarnaik and Shewale), my contestant is the chief of a political party (Pawar) and the vice-president candidate from the other group (Shelar) is from BJP.
Hence it is definitely going to be a subject of discussion. We took the blessings and support of Uddhavji to bring back the glorious days of Mumbai cricket. I don't think this should alarm anyone," he added. Meanwhile, Patil was furious with Pawar, who said on Saturday that the former was interested in hosting IPL and international matches at DY Patil Stadium.
"Being a positive person, I don't embark on the negative path. But the recent statements made by my co-contestant for the president's post on my intention of participating in the elections was for the purpose for pulling out matches from Wankhede Stadium and taking it to DY Patil Stadium right since the beginning is not true. It is never my intention to do so. Wankhede is the Mecca of Mumbai and in the last 12-13 years we have hosted just one Ranji Trophy game. When I constructed the stadium, my intentions were not to get benefits, financial or otherwise, from it. In fact it was an insurance to Wankhede. Every time there was a demand made, we would provide exemplary support to Mumbai cricket, BCCI or the IPL," he added.
He further said that treating the DY Patil Stadium as a different entity was unfair. "We are affiliated members of the MCA. Like all members in the MCA, we have equal stake and role as we fall under them. To treat it a separate entity is unfair. It hurts me when something like that is said."
Pawar had also said that the Navi Mumbai stadium was not ICC-approved. "It was quite shocking for the members that the president said this. If your recollect, the stadium hosted an India-Australia ODI in 2009. Unfortunately, the game was washed out. It is painful when something like this is said on a public platform," Patil said.
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