BOMBAY HIGH COURT has stayed the elections to the Apex Council of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA), which were scheduled to be held on Tuesday, after raising concerns over the induction of nearly 400 new members, including relatives of incumbent president and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that the manner in which the new members were admitted created a prima facie impression that the process had been carried out in undue haste. The order was passed while hearing a batch of petitions alleging violations of Supreme Court-mandated norms governing elections, as well as favouritism in the preparation of the voters’ list released on 25 December 2025.
According to the petitions, the newly inducted members include Pawar’s wife Kunti, his father-in-law Satish Magar, and Revati Sule, daughter of NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule.
The petitioners, among them former India cricketer Kedar Jadhav, contended that several of the new members had no connection with cricket and were added solely to enable a small group to run the MCA as a private body. They challenged the election process as “illegal” and alleged the “erroneous” inclusion of over 400 voters in the draft electoral roll.
“Many of the new members are related to the President and other office-bearers who are at the helm of affairs,” the court noted. It further observed that existing members were not given an opportunity to raise objections and were denied access to the minutes of the Apex Council and Annual General Meeting.
In view of allegations of illegality, arbitrariness and nepotism, the bench said it was well within its jurisdiction to examine the decision-making process that led to the mass induction of members. The judges also expressed concern over the timing of the admissions, noting that the addition of 400 members just ahead of the elections would inevitably influence the outcome.
“In the circumstances of the case, this Court cannot adopt a hands-off stand and permit the elections scheduled on January 6 to continue. The high court should not permit the illegality to be perpetuated,” the bench said, directing the electoral officer to halt the process until further orders.
The court also reiterated that the MCA’s primary objective is to regulate and improve cricket standards in the state, including policy formulation and the development of international-standard infrastructure. It questioned whether an individual could qualify as a life member solely on the basis of financial contributions to the sport.
Appearing for the MCA, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the newly inducted members had made substantial contributions, amounting to several crores of rupees, and that the association’s rules do not restrict membership only to cricketers or individuals directly associated with the game.
The matter is scheduled to be heard next on 4 February.
