Gopinath Munde moves court against rejection of nomination by MCA

Mumbai: Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde on Friday filed a suit in the city civil court against the rejection of his nomination to contest for the president`s post in the Mumbai Cricket Association`s biennial polls.

In his petition, Munde challenged the decision of MCA and said the rejection of his nomination by the election officer S M Gorwadkar was "illegal" and prayed that the president`s election be held once again. Munde also prayed that Sharad Pawar, who was declared elected unopposed yesterday ahead of today`s polls, should not take charge as MCA president and even if he assumes charge, should not be allowed to discharge the functions of the president. He has also named outgoing MCA president Ravi Savant, joint secretaries Nitin Dalal and P V Shetty, CT Singhvi (of Vile Parle club), who had raised the objection, and Gorwadkar as the other respondents to the suit. It will come up for hearing tomorrow. The former Maharashtra deputy CM, whose application to contest the polls was rejected by the election officer on the basis of his residential status, had appealed against the verdict but that too was rejected yesterday. Munde`s application was rejected on Saturday as the address on his electoral registration was Beed. According to MCA rules, only a Mumbai resident can become a governing member of the cricketing body. Savant had said that as per a Bombay High Court order of 2006, a person could have residences in different cities, but he is considered to be a permanent resident of only that place where his name appears on the electoral rolls. Munde, who came to vote in the elections on behalf of Mazgaon Cricket Club, told reporters it was a "conspiracy" to see that Pawar was elected unopposed. "This is all monopoly of Sharad Pawar. All his friends tried that Sharad Pawar should be elected unopposed, so they have done this conspiracy," the Lok Sabha MP said. "I have filed a suit against the election decision about my nomination today in city civil court. My appeal will be accepted today or tomorrow. I have asked civil court that injunction be given to the election of presidentship and take a fresh election. This prayer is given in my petition." "I have filed the suit because yesterday afternoon I got the certified copy of the president`s decision. Since all procedures were needed, I filed it today," the BJP leader added.