Rajasthan cricket elections: Five political scions enter fray for RCA president’s post

Jaipur: Five sons of prominent politicians filed their nominations on Saturday, the final day of the submission window for the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) executive elections, setting up a heavily contested battle for control of the sports body. Amid intense political maneuvering, over 20 District Cricket Association (DCA) secretaries have reportedly been moved to resort-style retreats as district secretaries hold key voting power and are pushing for a 4-2 power-sharing compromise, letting the BJP high command dictate the top two posts while reserving the remaining four positions for district representatives.Jodhpur DCA president Dhananjai Singh Khimsar, son of current health minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar, and Churu DCA president Parakram Singh Rathore, son of former Leader of Opposition Rajendra Singh Rathore, both submitted their papers for the apex post of president. Their bids anchor a five-way presidential race that also includes former ad hoc panel convener DD Kumawat, Rajesh Saraswat and Brij Kishore Upadhyay.Meanwhile, the strategic inclusion of three newly affiliated district associations could prove decisive in the final outcome, provided the elections proceed past high command consensus.A similar convergence of political family members defines the races for the remaining executive roles. Education minister Madan Dilawar’s son Pawan Dilawar, filed his nomination for the vice-president post. He faces competition from Alwar DCA president Mohit Yadav, son of BJP MLA Dr Jaswant Singh Yadav, who is double-filing for both vice-president and secretary.The secretarial contest also features Ashish Tiwari, son of Rajya Sabha MP Ghanshyam Tiwari, who has simultaneously staked a claim for the treasurer’s role. Joining them in the multi-cornered race for secretary are Pinkesh Kumar Jain, Sumendra Tiwari, Manoj Kumar Sharma and Upadhyay.The financial and operational portfolios are equally competitive. Vying alongside Ashish Tiwari for the treasurer position are Pinkesh Kumar Jain, Vishnu Prakash Agarwal, Sushil Jain, and Rajesh Kumar Mathur. Meanwhile, the joint secretary portfolio has drawn entries from Govind Swaroop Upadhyay, Vinod Saharan, Ratan Singh Shekhawat, Sushil Jain, and Rajesh Saraswat.Amid the field of political heavyweights, the election features Dausa DCA president Shobhana Gurjar, a national-level shooter and veteran sports administrator, who filed her papers for executive committee member. She faces a multi-cornered contest against Rajesh Choudhary, Dharmveer Singh Shekhawat, and Arisht Singhvi.The administrative roadmap now moves into its final phases at the RCA Academy. Election authorities will conduct the official scrutiny of all submitted papers on Sunday (September 27), followed by the candidate withdrawal window on Monday (September 28), leading up to voting and results on Tuesday (September 29).Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.