Will the fizz go out of the BCCI presidential election on September 22-23? It may, if he stays away from the contest after his defeat last year
Will the fizz go out of the BCCI presidential election due on September 22-23? It may, if Sharad Pawar decides to stay away from the contest after his defeat in a close finish last year.
Pawar had lost by one vote when then BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya used his casting vote for his nominee, Ranbir Singh Mahendra.
The first indication that Pawar may not race this time came from his last year's sponsor, Punjab Cricket Association chief IS Bindra. He said Pawar had not approached the PCA for a nomination yet. "In his absence, I don't see any other candidate (except Mahendra)," Bindra said. Pawar himself is non-committal. "I don't wish to comment on the issue," he told DNA a few days ago in Mumbai.
But the minister, currently in Coimbatore, goes to Chennai on Saturday where he will meet former BCCI president AC Muttiah, an old Dalmiya foe. It is likely that he will only make up his mind after this meeting.
Meanwhile, the Dalmiya camp is confident that there will not be a contest. Their optimism stems from the fact that the Congress vote bank, which Pawar depends on, is split.
"Only Sonia Gandhi can assure Pawar of all nine votes that the Congress has. But for that, she will have to issue a whip against a Congressman (Mahendra)," says Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association's N Venkat Rao, a Dalmiya aide.
"If Pawar wanted to contest we would have heard from him," Orissa Cricket Association secretary Asirbad Behera said. "By this time last year, there was a lot of activity."
If he does withdraw, cricketing circles say it will be a tactical retreat. It's all got to do with the zonal rotation principle.
Like last year, the president's post falls in the North Zone. If Pawar contests this year, he will have to fight as a North Zone nominee like last year. Next year, the post goes to West Zone.
With inputs from Vijay Tagore in Mumbai
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