Another political heavyweight is all set to join cricket officialdom, with Union Minister for Heavy Industries and former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh throwing his hat into the ring for the Mumbai Cricket Association elections, filing his nomination for the post of vice-president.

Interestingly, members of the ruling group said Deshmukh, a senior Congress leader, was part of the panel headed by National Congress Party’s Sharad Pawar. “He is very much part of our panel and has our full support,” said Hemant Waingankar, who is contesting for the post of joint secretary from the Pawar camp.

Pawar himself stands unopposed for the post of MCA president for the July 10 elections.

Besides these political stalwarts, a couple of former cricketers Dilip Vengsarkar and Lalchand Rajput are also in the fray. Vengsarkar, who is a part of the Pawar group, is contesting for one of the two vice-president posts. The rival groups have nominated old MCA hands Parvin Barve and Shirpad Halbe. Rajput fights for one of the two joint secretary posts against the incumbent Pawar group members Waingankar and PV Shetty.

An interesting contest is expected for the post of treasurer, where the BCCI chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty finds himself pitted against Ravi Sawant, who quit as MCA vice-president about a week back. Both have been part of MCA’s last executive body, but Sawant has drifted away from the Pawar camp and locked horns against their nominee.

Nomination list

President (1): Sharad Pawar (Unopposed)

Vice President (2): Vilasrao Deshmukh, Dilip Vengsarkar, Pravin Barve, Shripad Halbe

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