The results of the first full election at the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club, held on July 31, were declared after almost 144 hours on Tuesday. Subrata ‘Babul’ Das has been elected president and Pranab Dasgupta his deputy.
“It feels great (to win). It’s been a hectic one-and-a-half months,” Das, who wrested the seat from Naresh Ojha by a narrow margin of 48 votes, told Metro moments after the results were declared. Is a celebration with friends and family in the offing? “May be… let’s see,” laughed Das.
The counting of ballots, which got stalled hours after the poll with the scrutineers complaining of “irrational and unreasonable challenge” to their role, resumed around 2.30pm on Tuesday.
Election officer Gautam Sen, and the new scrutineers — Ranabir Sen, a “very senior club member” and the former chairman of tea auctioneer J Thomas & Co, and Kalyani Chaudhuri, a retired IAS officer — pinned the results on the club’s notice boards around 5.15pm.
Each camp had an observer in the counting hall — Das representing his camp and honorary treasurer Sanjib Barbora Team Naresh Ojha’s.
“The sealed room was opened in front of the scrutineers. It was a friendly atmosphere. The observers sat next to each other and were having a chat over tea,” said a source.
Supporters — there were a handful in the afternoon — started trooping in around 5.30pm.
Club CEO Deepankar Nandi promised that CC&FC “will get back to making news for the right reasons”.
“With the cooperation of both factions, the ballot counting exercise was completed peacefully and the results were declared today. We are certain that the new committee will do their best to maintain the club’s tradition and excellence,” he said.
Outgoing president Ojha had “best wishes” for the new committee.
This was the first time the Gurusaday Road club went to polls to elect a president, vice-president, a nine-member general committee and a six-member balloting committee.
The election, however, grabbed headlines for some other reasons, too.
IAS officers Dipak Rudra, Chandan Sinha and Sanjay Thade, who as scrutineers in the first phase had complained of “irrational and unreasonable challenge”, submitted a five-page report dubbing the club election more lawless than the rural polls.
