Sharad Pawar to contest BCCI elections

Sharad Pawar, the president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, will stand for the post of president of the BCCI in the elections on September 29. Pawar was nominated from Punjab on Saturday.

Considering the rotational policy of the BCCI with regard to the presidential elections, it was the turn of states in the North Zone to nominate their candidates. Those selected is usually from the area itself - Pawar, of course, is a West Zone man.

There is a precedent for such zone-hopping, though - in 1993, IS Bindra, a resident of Chandigarh in North India, was elected from the West Zone, and in 1990, Madhavrao Scindia, who is from Madhya Pradesh in Central India, was elected from the North Zone.

Speaking to The Hindustan Times, GS Walia, the treasurer of the Punjab Cricket Association, said: "Since the situation was fluid and no one from the North was coming forth to fight the elections we decided to nominate Pawar to attend the meeting from our side."