Vengsarkar to contest MCA president elections

Former India batsman Dilip Vengsarkar will be contesting the Mumbai Cricket Association elections, to be held next month, for the post of president. There is likely to be a four-way contest for the post with cabinet member and central minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and possibly Maharashtra's revenue minister Narayan Rane in the fray to challenge incumbent MCA president Sharad Pawar.

"I will be contesting the election this time and I don't want to comment anything more on this at the moment," Vengsarkar, who is currently MCA vice-president , told the Indian Express.

Congress leader Deshmukh represents Mazgaon Cricket Club and is also MCA vice-president. Mazgaon CC secretary Alam Shaikh confirmed that Deshmukh would be contesting the elections. "Mr Deshmukh told us that he will be contesting for the president's post this time," Shaikh said. "We are confident that he will win again. Let's see how things go."

National Congress Party (NCP) president Pawar, who is currently ICC president, has been the MCA president for the last eight years [constituting four terms], and was given an extension during the last election after the constitution was amended.

Vijay Patil, president of the DY Patil Sports Academy and son of Tripura governor DY Patil, will be contesting for the post of vice-president.

The MCA managing committee is scheduled to meet on May 10 to decide the election date.