Lalit Modi’s attempt to regain control of the Rajasthan Cricket Association failed for the second time in six months after the BCCI strongman lost an acrimonious election for the President’s post of the RCA to Union Minister C.P. Joshi here on Monday.
Mr. Joshi, the Union Rural Development minister, defeated Modi19-13 in the much-awaited election which was marked by ugly scuffles between the two factions.
This is the second defeat for Modi, who is a BCCI vice-President and the commissioner of the Indian Premier League. Modi’s tenure as RCA President had ended unceremoniously earlier this year.
The RCA was having its second election in less than a year because Sanjay Dixit, who had defeated Modi in the March 1 election, could not keep his group intact and the State Government had to form an ad hoc body.
Dixit has returned to the RCA as secretary after defeating Rajendra Singh Rathore 19-14 in today’s election.
Earlier, elections took a violent turn when supporters of Mr. Modi and Mr. Joshi got embroiled in a scuffle outside the RCA office premises at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
As the voting started, the supporters from the two rival camps got into a brawl, which required police intervention.
Mr. Modi alleged that his supporters were intimidated and stopped from casting their votes.
“We will have to wait and watch at the end of the day. Some of my supporters are being beaten up and it is unfortunate,” he said.
Mr. Modi’s close confidante Amin Pathan, who is the secretary of Kota District Cricket Association, Anjani Mathur, secretary of Jodhpur District Cricket Association, and Ramesh Gupta, Secretary of Baran Cricket were allegedly manhandled by Congress workers.
The police eventually drove out all the supporters from the RCA premises.
The scuffle started when Congress workers allegedly objected to the presence of about half a dozen armed bodyguards of Mr. Modi in the RCA premises.
Congress MLA Raghu Sharma asked the police to drive out the armed bodyguards but within no time the supporters from the two camps started clashing with each other.
Mr. Joshi sought to distance himself from the incident and blamed Mr. Modi for instigating the violent clash.
“I am not on the spot, I don’t know how these allegations are being made against me. I only know that the other party went with bodyguards. Why do you need bodyguards when you are going to cast your vote? You are coming with bodyguards and provoking us,” he said.
