File photo of Prithiviraj Chavan
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today joined a select group of Indian politicians like Sharad Pawar, Arun Jaitley, Rajiv Shukla, late Vilasrao Deshmukh, Farooq Abdullah and Manohar Joshi who also doubled as leading cricket administrators.
Mr Chavan joined the Mazegaon Cricket Club (MCC) today which, in a letter to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), said that Mr Chavan would now represent the MCC.
The MCC is a local cricket body but the move is significant. The MCA, one of the most powerful cricketing bodies in the country, is holding its biennial elections on October 18. Tomorrow is the last day for the 330-odd clubs to submit the name of their representatives.
Mr Chavan has entered into the shoes of another Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, late Vilasrao Deshmukh, who also represented the MCC and was later elected MCA President. Like him, this paves the way for Mr Chavan to contest the MCA elections and further consolidate his position and political authority in Maharashtra.
"I can't say if he will contest or not but we are ready. We discussed the issue with our members and agreed to nominate Mr Chavan. Now it depends on him if he wants to contest the elections," MCC secretary Shahalam Shaikh told NDTV.
There are rumours that NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is also keen to make a comeback into cricket administration. Mr Pawar and Mr Chavan, though allies, hardly see eye-to-eye. At a function in Pune recently, Mr Pawar was openly critical of the Chief Minister's way of working, saying, "His hands shiver which is why he doesn't sign files. The state functioning seems paralysed.''
Mr Chavan responded later by saying he only signed on files that were in larger public interest and that projects backed by politicians were not his priority.