Venkatesh Prasad Elected as New President of Karnataka State Cricket Association
Venkatesh Prasad Takes Charge
Former Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has been elected as the new president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on Sunday. Prasad, who previously served as the vice president of the association, secured victory against seasoned sports administrator K.N. Shant Kumar with a vote count of 749 to 558. A total of 1,307 members participated in the voting process.
Challenges Ahead for Prasad
Prasad now faces the significant challenge of revitalizing top-level cricket in the state, which has been sidelined following a tragic incident near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, where 11 fans of the Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their lives.
Commitment to Revive Cricket
Both Prasad and K.N. Shant Kumar, a director at Printers (Mysore) Private Limited and a member of the PTI board, have pledged to take necessary steps to rejuvenate cricket in the state. This commitment was a key electoral issue for their respective panels.
Vice President and Treasurer Elections
Former Indian batsman Sujit Somesundar won the vice president position by defeating D. Vinod Shivappa with a score of 719 to 588. Somesundar had recently resigned from his role as the head of education at the BCCI 'Center of Excellence' to contest in the KSCA elections. B.N. Madhukar emerged as the new treasurer after defeating M.S. Vinay with a tally of 736 to 571.
New Secretary and Support from Former Players
Experienced administrator Santosh Menon made a comeback as the new secretary by winning against E.S. Jayaram with a score of 675 to 632. Jayaram had resigned from the KSCA secretary position after taking moral responsibility for the unfortunate incident that resulted in the deaths and injuries of fans. Prasad's panel received backing from former Indian players like Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, securing all key positions except for the joint secretary role. The elections took place from 10 AM to 5 PM, with B.K. Ravi winning the joint secretary position by defeating A.V. Shashidhar with a margin of 669 to 638.
New Members Elected
Former women cricketer Kalpana Venkatachar (764) and former Karnataka wicketkeeper-batsman Avinash Vaidya (691) were elected as members from the Bengaluru region, alongside Ashish Amaralal (703).