Ratnakar Shetty questions Mumbai Cricket Association over being debarred from voting

Veteran cricket administrator Prof Ratnakar Shetty has questioned the Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) decision for snatching away his fundamental right to vote in the upcoming elections, but conveniently turning a blind eye to the existence of "dormant" clubs which continue to enjoy the right to franchise.

Shetty, who is employed with the Board of Control for Cricket in India as general manager (cricket development), has been disallowed from exercising his right to vote in the association's polls. This is because the rules debar a paid employee of the board from doing so.

In a May 5, 2015 letter addressed to MCA president Sharad Pawar, a copy of which is with dna, Shetty wrote, "You will recall that I had raised the issue of dormant clubs being continued and allowed to vote at the AGM (annual general body meeting) of Mumbai Cricket Association on January 23, 2015. The issue of dormant clubs had been raised by Mr Jaya Shetty in the last three AGMs and all that we got was promises but no action... I am given to understand that a meeting of the affiliation committee was held on March 15, 2015 with Mr Ravi Savant in the chair. According to one of the members present, the issue of dormant clubs was discussed at length at the Committee was told that Golden Tobacco and Indo-Burma Petroleum have closed (down) their activities and hence immediate action to delete these two office clubs should be taken."

Shetty further requested the MCA chief to intervene in the matter. "People like me who are employed with BCCI have been denied the fundamental right to vote as a representative of a member," Shetty concluded.