An unexpected split within the Vivek Jain-led ruling faction at the Royal Western India Turf Club could pave the way for senior committee member Khushroo N Dhunjibhoy to become the managing committee's chairman at the club's 102nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held at the Mahalaxmi Race Course today. There are eleven candidates including Zinia Lawyer and Ashwin Mehta in the fray this year.It is reliably learnt that, from among the group of seven candidates excluding Jain and his three team members, a consensus has emerged in favour of electing Dhunjibhoy as the club's chairman. If elected to lead the club, Dhunjibhoy will get to serve in this position for the eighth time.

This development was the direct fallout of previous committee members Geoffrey Nagpal, Gulam Vahanvaty and Milan Luthria's decision to part ways with Jain and Champaklal Zaveri towards the end of the last Mumbai racing season.

The AGM starts today at 11 am and all those members who have not opted for the remote e-voting facility will be eligible to cast their vote through electronic voting (Instapoll) at the venue till 7 pm following which the results will be declared late in the evening. Earlier the e-voting facility for the ninemember managing committee was thrown open for three days on September 8 and was closed yesterday.

Mehta, one of the eleven candidates for the committee's post, has already been declared elected unopposed to the club's Board of Appeal (BOA). Another BOA member Shivlal Daga and Mehta retired from the appeal board on rotation this year and were eligible for reelection. Both were elected unopposed as the club did not receive any nominations for the two posts for the third year in succession.

Courtesy - mumbaimirror