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Punjab cricket body proposes Pawar for top BCCI post
MUMBAI: Even as Indian cricket board supremo Jagmohan Dalmiya prepares for some legal jousting in the Supreme Court tomorrow, a battle on another front is well and truely joined. The stage is set for a fierce contest for the presidentship of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with the Punjab Cricket Association having decided to nominate political heavyweight Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for the post.
Elections that will decide who takes over from Dalmiya at the helm of the world’s richest cricket board are to be held on Wednesday.
“The PCA has decided to give our nomination to Pawar at his request,” PCA Treasurer GS Walia was quoted as telling Press Trust of India on Monday.
The development is significant especially since Dalmiya is reportedly backing Haryana Cricket Association president Ranbir Singh Mahendra for the top job. Being sister state units, the PCA would normally have been expected to back the HCA. Dalmiya had initially supported BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley for the top job, but after the former union law and commerce minister withdrew from the race, put his weight behind Mahendra.
According to a report in the Indian Express, Dalmiya controls seven votes Cricket Association of Bengal, National Cricket Club (Kolkata), Tripura, Kerala, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh out of a possible 30. Of the remaining 23 votes, six are controlled by Congress politicians who run the Orissa, Hyderabad, Gujarat, MP, Assam and Goa units. Three are institutional votes services, universities and railways.
Pertinently, in both the BCCI presidency battle as well as the board’s fight in the Supreme Court, Dalmiya is confronting the same adversary in Zee group CMD Subhash Chandra. The reported “open lobbying” for the Maharashtra strongman Sharad Pawar by Chandra is being seen in industry circles as one of the reasons why the BCCI chief has now declared “open war” on Chandra.
It remains to be seen which of these two titans in their respective domains, both from the Marwari business community, comes out the winner in this no-holds barred slugfest.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
