C P Joshi pips Lalit Modi's son Ruchir to become RCA president

The secretary post went to Rajendra Singh Nandu, believed to be a staunch supporter of Lalit Modi.

Congress leader C P Joshi has pipped Ruchir Modi, son of former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, to become president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).

The elections of RCA were held on May 29 but results were declared today as per the orders of the High Court. Joshi won with a 19-14 margin.

The ballot boxes were kept in government treasury and were brought in RCA Academy, where after a long drama, the election results were announced by election officer A K Pandey.

It was rather on expected lines that former president Joshi emerged much stronger than Modi who was backed by his father Lalit, who is facing a life ban from the BCCI and is in exile owing to money laundering charges by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

It was also a sweet revenge for the senior congressman Joshi, who had had to withdraw from the election against Lalit Modi the previous year because he was deserted by his own supporters.

The only consolation for Modi faction was that the post of secretary went to Rajendra Singh Nandu, who is believed to be a staunch supporter of Lalit Modi.

He beat Mahendra Sharma 17-16 by cross voting which was also seen on some other posts.

Another Modi man, Pinkesh Jain, too came out a winner against Azad Singh with an 18-15 margin for the post of treasurer.

The post of vice-president went to Mohammad Iqbal, also a Congress man, who beat Ram Prakash Choudhary 19-14 while Mahendra Nahar, also of Joshi faction, emerged victorious against Shatrughan Tiwari 18-15.

The post of executive member went to K K Nimawat, who got the better of Ramesh Gupta 19-14.

The state cricket is already bearing the brunt of electing Lalit Modi as RCA president in the last election which resulted in the BCCI suspension of the state body.

The BCCI had warned that the suspension would continue till Lalit Modi was removed also from the primary bodies of RCA.

Despite that, Lalit Modi hung on to the post of president of Nagaur District Association.

Thus the districts approached Joshi to provide them with the umbrella they needed to put the state cricket on track. It can't be denied that Lalit Modi, who came to the helm of RCA by removing Rungtas in 2005, had done a tremendous job by creating infrastructure.