In a setback to Rohit Pawar, HC halts Maharashtra Cricket Association over allegations of ‘illegal’ addition of voters
The Bombay High Court was hearing pleas seeking stay on election process and removal of certain names including those of Pawar's kin from the electoral roll
The Bombay High Court on Monday ordered the authorities not to proceed till further orders with the election for the Apex Council of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) scheduled on Tuesday, January 6.
The HC’s interim order comes as a setback to NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, the incumbent President of the MCA. The HC was hearing pleas which claimed that the norms laid down by Supreme Court for the elections were violated and there was a favouritism in adding members in the voters’ list released on December 25.
A division bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A Ankhad passed an order on pleas by former Indian cricketer and BJP functionary Kedar Jadhav, Latur District Cricket Association, through its president Kamlesh Thakkar, Anant Nilkanth Mate, Life Member of MCA and Shikshana Prasarak Mandali’s Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune seeking stay on election process and removal of certain names from the electoral roll.
The pleas challenged the election process and claimed it to be “illegal” and said there was “erroneous” inclusion of more than 400 voters in the draft voter list of the MCA.
The pleas claimed that the new voters’ list showed 401 new life members who were inducted to increase strength of the general body from 150 to over 600 members.
The plea by Jadhav also claimed that the added members included Rohit Pawar’s relatives including his wife Kunti Pawar, his father-in-law Satish Magar, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule’s daughter Revati, Baramati Agro’s Subhash Gulave and also over 30 NCP leaders.
The HC issued notice to the respondents including the State government, MCA and its office bearers.
Senior advocates Vineet Naik and Venkatesh Dhond along with advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, for the petitioners, sought quashing the election schedule issued on December 23, 2025 including the draft voters’ list and all subsequent proceedings and sought appointment of administrators to conduct the election in “fair and legal” manner.
The pleas also sought directions to authorities to delete the newly added 400 members and pending hearing of the plea sought stay on the election proceedings and direction to not to publish final voter list.
Jadhav’s plea also claimed names were added “all of a sudden without following due process of law”.
“It is seen that a vast majority of the applicants running into hundreds are from the family and close relatives of the current president, wife, children, cousins and so on, which smirks of building dynasties,” Jadhav claimed in his plea.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi for MCA submitted that due process was followed as per the Rules and Regulations governing the elections.
The bench observed no sufficient opportunity was given to petitioners to raise their objections and “admission of about 400 new members would certainly change the whole complexion and to a certain extent the Constitution of the MCA in certain aspects”.
“The manner in which the entire process of admission of new members has been undertaken gives a prima-facie impression that everything was done in a hot haste,” the order reads. It added, “This court cannot adopt a hands-off stand and permit the elections scheduled on January 6 to continue”. The HC also said “balance of convenience lies in favour of petitioners” and it would cause them “irreparable loss” of elections are permitted to be held on scheduled date of January 6.
Story continues below this ad
“After hearing the rival submissions and perusing the materials on record, we have formed an opinion that interference by this Court with the election process published on the website of the Maharashtra Cricket Association on December 23, 2025 is necessary, Therefore, we issue a direction to the Electoral Officer not to proceed with the election of the Maharashtra Cricket Association scheduled on 6th January 2026, in any manner whatsoever, without leave of the Court or till the next date of hearing,” the HC noted in its order.
Seeking replies by the respondents by February 3, the court posted further hearing to February 4.
Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions.
Expertise & Authority
Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage.
Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in:
Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include:
Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes).
Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty).
Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict.
Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability.
Legal Interpretation: Reports on public speeches and observations by prominent judicial figures (e.g., former Chief Justice B. R. Gavai) on topics like free speech, gender equality, and institutional challenges.
Omkar Gokhale's consistent, focused reporting on the judiciary establishes him as a definitive and authoritative voice for legal developments originating from Mumbai and impacting the entire state of Maharashtra. ... Read More
