Gujarat Cricket Association drops president from election

The Gujarat Cricket Association did not elect its president to succeed the outgoing Amit Shah, who is also the Union Home Minister.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a recent DDCA function in New Delhi.

 

For reasons not known, the Gujarat Cricket Association did not elect its president to succeed the outgoing GCA president, Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister. At its AGM in Ahmedabad on Saturday, its members chose Dhanraj Nathwani as vice-president.

Nathwani, according to the All India Football Federation website, is the president of the Gujarat State Football Association. Even the GSFA website says so. Nathwani is the son of Parimal Nathwani, the outgoing GCA vice-president and an independent Rajya Sabha member from Jharkhand.

In an election notice served to its members on September 11, the former joint secretary of the GCA, Bharat Dudhia and electoral officer, Varesh Sinha, have clearly said that a candidate can file nomination for election if he/she "does not hold any office or post in a sports or athletic association or federation apart from cricket."

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Justice Lodha’s reforms in cricket report, accepted by the Supreme Court, highlighted the above point and Ahmedabad locals who follow cricket are clueless as to how Nathwani was elected. Apart from Nathwani, others elected were, Ashok Brahmbhatt (secretary), Anil Patel (jt. secertary) and Bharat Zaveri (treasuer), all unopposed.

Jay Shah, son of Amit, is expected to represent the GCA at the BCCI AGM on October 22; also present will be Dhiraj Jogani, who is on the payrolls of the GCA and according to the associations account books he is the GCA’ s CEO. 

In nearby Baroda, Ajit Lele, son of the late BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele, was elected secretary for a three-year term. Pranav, son of former IPL chairman and BCCI vice-president Chirayu Amin, was elected president. The other office-bearers are Sheetal Mehta (vice-president), Parag Patel (jt. secretary) and Ajit Patel (treasurer).