Mumbai: The Mumbai Press Club has announced the results of its biannual elections for year 2024-26. The elections saw an impressive turnout, with 681 members casting their votes to elect a new president, chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, joint-secretary, treasurer, and managing committee.
Senior Journalist Samar Khadas of Maharashtra Times has been elected as the new President of the club, promising to bring renewed energy and focus to the role. He will be supported by a new team of leaders, including Rajesh Mascarenhas as Chairperson, Rajanish Kakade as Vice-Chairperson, Mayuresh Ganapatye as Secretary, Ashish S. Raje as Joint-Secretary, and Sourabh P. Sharma as Treasurer.
The election process was overseen by Returning Officer Shaikh R. Haaris and Deputy Returning Officer Mhaske Dhondiba, ensuring transparency and integrity throughout the voting process.
Samar Khadas has been elected as the new President of the Mumbai Press Club. Khadas received 472 votes, significantly outpacing his opponent Anita D. Shukla, who garnered 181 votes. Out of 681 votes cast, 28 were declared invalid.
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Rajesh Mascarenhas, of Economic Times has been elected unopposed as the Chairperson, indicating broad support and confidence from the membership. Similarly, Kakade Rajanish has been declared the new Vice-Chairperson without contest, suggesting a strong mandate to lead.
In a decisive win, Mayuresh Ganapatye of News 18 has been elected Secretary, receiving 503 votes. His opponent, Waseem Haider Sayyed, received 150 votes out of the 680 cast, with 27 votes invalidated.
Ashish S Raje, of Mid-day has been elected as the Joint-Secretary, receiving 441 votes against Kashyap S. Sudhakar, who received 207 votes. The total number of votes cast was 679, with 31 invalid votes. This win underscores Ashish’s commitment to serving the Press Club and its members.
Sourabh P. Sharma has taken the position of Treasurer without opposition, reflecting a consensus on his ability to manage the club’s finances effectively.
The following ten candidates have been elected to the Managing Committee, reflecting a diverse and dynamic group poised to guide the Press Club forward:
1. Swati Deshpande - 541 votes
2. Aditya R. Dubey - 483 votes
3. Anurag A. Kamble - 466 votes
4. Rucha P. Kanolkar - 478 votes
5. Gaurav Laghate - 411 votes
6. Shashank A. Parade - 456 votes
7. Pravin V. Patil - 488 votes
8. Ashish Rane - 517 votes
9. Latikesh Sharma - 422 votes
10. Kiran Umrigar - 460 votes
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Other candidates in the running included Brijbhan B. Jaiswar, Swapnil A. Shinde, Anita D. Shukla, and Santosh Tiwari, who received notable support but did not secure seats.
Names with News Organisations
Newly Elected Commitee members
Aditya Dubey - Hamara Mahanagar
Anurag Kamble- Maharashtra Times
Ashish Rane - Mid-day
Gaurav Laghate - Mint
Kiran Umrigar - PTI
Latikesh Sharma - Navbharat Times
Pravin Patil - Aaj Tak
Rucha Kanolkar - The Free Press Journal
Shashant Parade - PTI
Swati Deshpande - Times Of India