Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s son, Vaibhav Gehlot, has padded up for an innings in the state’s cricket administration after unsuccessfully contesting the Lok Sabha election from Jodhpur this year.
Vaibhav Gehlot is taking on Ram Prakash Choudhary, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Jodhpur, for the post of president of Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).
The election is being held on Friday and the result will be announced by the evening.
Vaibhav Gehlot was expected to win unopposed after the nomination of the former leader of opposition Rameshwar Dudi was rejected but Dudi hoisted Choudhary against him.
Choudhary, the secretary of Jodhpur District Cricket Association, is considered close to Dudi.
Dudi’s papers were rejected under the norms of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). BCCI rules say candidates with an affiliation to the district cricket associations of Alwar, Nagaur and Ganganagar—which are directly or indirectly linked to Lalit Modi—cannot contest elections to sports bodies under it.
Dudi is president of Nagaur district cricket association.
Vaibhav Gehlot is backed by the incumbent RCA president CP Joshi, the Speaker of Rajasthan assembly.
Sources in the Joshi camp said efforts have been made to ensure that Vaibhav wins the election. Vaibhav is also the treasurer of Rajsamand district cricket association.
Dudi has alleged misuse of government machinery in the election since the chief minister’s son is contesting the RCA election.
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) leader Hanuman Beniwal’s support to Dudi has also been a concern for Congress leaders.
BJP leader Ameen Pathan, backed by the Joshi camp, and Aishwarya Singh Katoch of Dudi camp, are in the fray for the post of RCA vice-president.
For the post of secretary, it is Mahendra Sharma (Joshi camp) and Somendra Tiwari (Dudi camp) and for joint secretary, BK Upadhyay and Pinkesh Jain (Dudi camp) and Mahendra Nahar (Joshi camp) are contesting.
KK Ninawat (Joshi camp) and Anant Vyas (Dudi camp) are contesting for the treasurer’s post. Devaram Choudhary (Joshi camp) and Ramesh Gupta (Dudi camp) are fighting for the executive committee member’s post.