RWITC members want a say in the election of chairman - By Shailendra Awasthi TNN
Posted on - 27 Dec 2012
Mumbai: A section of members of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) are upset with a rule of the club that gives power to the managing committee to appoint the chairman. They feel it should be the members who should have the right to exercise that power.
The group is upset with the way the elected committee for the year 2012-13 went ahead and appointed Khushroo Dhunjibhoy as the chairman, despite the fact that former chairman Vivek Jain and his team had secured four of the first five places among the nine who were elected. The upset group is planning to write to the committee to decide on calling an EOGM at its first meeting, to be held on January 11. If the committee fails to do so, then the group will take up a signature campaign to force the committee to call for an EOGM.
"I just want that the members should have the power to elect the chairman, and not the few elected members of the committee as it encourages a lot of politicking,” said Fali Poncha, a senior member, who had raised this issue at this year’s AGM held on December 18.
On his part, Jain says: “I am happy our team virtually swept the top positions and I guess it’s the members’ way of expressing their unhappiness in the manner the new chairman has been imposed upon them. I am looking forward to the break after virtually giving my life to the club these last three years. I have been beseeched to continue to participate as before, and I hope to play an effective, constructive role.”
Meanwhile, new chairman Dhunjibhoy feels the move is unnecessary. “Even if the chairman is elected by the members and not by the committee, he will need the support of at least five committee members to carry on the work he intends to do. So I don’t see any need for a change. The members, anyhow, elect the entire committee to work together and not the chairman alone. It is a time-tested norm and has been successful all these years. I don’t want to rake the past but as far as I remember, former chairman Shashi Chand Jain, who was chairman for 13 consecutive years, did not always secure the maximum votes.”
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