Why are DDCA Elections Making Noise?

The DDCA elections took place on 30 June where several positions including that of the President was up for grabs.

Why are the DDCA elections so important?

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

From India TV chief Rajat Sharma, to Madan Lal, who was a part of the 1983 World Cup winning Indian cricket team, and Supreme Court lawyer Vikas Singh, the DDCA or the Delhi District Cricket Association elections saw all of them pitting against each other on 30 June.

Since its formation in 1883, the DDCA witnessed its most expensive election campaign so far this year. It is not yet clear what the budget limit was for the elections.

Why is the Election Garnering Attention?

The contestants have gone the extra mile to woo voters. From FM Radio to social media campaigns, contestants optimally used all possible mediums to make a pitch. Emotions ran high, as did promises with Rajat Sharma reminiscing his childhood, and Vikas Singh speaking against the lack of transparency in the DDCA and his son’s failure in getting selected for the under-14 team due to alleged politics.

On the other hand, former Indian coach Madan Lal took a trip down memory lane, recalling the 1983 World Cup victory. A promise to build a first class stadium, and a bar and spa have also been placed on the table.

Rajat Sharma hosted frequent parties at Delhi’s Roshanara Club and took that chance to deliver his message to his voters. Vikas Singh countered the move by hosting Adnan Sami’s concert. Madan Lal hosted ‘teatime talks’.

Once the lavish campaigning concluded, there were some changes made to the voting system.

The proxy system was done away with, which meant that no one can vote for anyone else. 

While Kapil Dev, Srikanth and Sunil Gavaskar backed Madan Lal, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Akash Chopra supported Rajat Sharma. Both groups voiced their support on social media.

A few years ago, BJP MP Kirti Azad had accused the DDCA of corruption. That case, however, has been under the wraps until now. 

The DDCA has given us big names like Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, BIshan Singh Bedi and Kirti Azad, and is a high-profile cricket association which has its influence over the BCCI.

But why is a district cricket association’s election is earning so much hype?

(This article was originally published on Quint Hindi)