Mumbai: Turf club wants Devendra Fadnavis to defer 15 per cent rule

The Royal Western India Turf Club RWITC committee met yesterday for a final consensus on the more than 15 per cent controversy The State government recently has put an addendum or condition in the Horse Race License issued by the government to the RWITC for 20152016 and 20162017 saying that members must have more than 15 per cent attendance at the races to be considered eligible to vote in elections to the committee The elections for the new RWITC committee which has a oneyear tenure will be held in September this yearDerby day and key races see substantial attendance but more than 15 per cent is a tall order for club membersThe order was pushed by government nominee to the stewardsrsquo body Vijay Shirke Shirke was not present yesterday as he is not part of the RWITC committee but he had sent a detailed mail to the committee fully in support of the addendum except saying owners and breeders could be allowed to vote His main point was that as the Govt had imposed a code of conduct in last yearrsquos license they should add this tooThe committee meeting was held at the RWITC Mahalaxmi Committee room at 3 pm and this particular issue was discussed for half an hour Committee member Jaydev Mody was absent as he is in the US but it is learnt that he had sent an email that this particular discussion should be deferred Mody confirmed over the phone from New York that he wanted it deferredYet it was discussed as the club needs to approach CM Devendra Fadnavis soon to convince him of why this condition should be removed from the license to race There was general hesitancy to send it by a few on the committee But by majority it was decided to send it after moderating the draft somewhat said a source Vivek Jain media and marketing chief RWITC stated that the RWITC will now send ldquoa detailed representation in writing to the CM as well as seeking an appointment with him citing our reasons opposing this conditionrdquoJain added ldquoA request for a meeting with the CM is pending with his secretariatrdquo Some of the points the club is to make are1 Section 4 of the Bombay Race Course licensing Act does not authorise the government to issue this addendum2 The addendum amounts to a direct interference with the management of the RWITC3 This amounts to create two categories of members club members who can vote and those who cannot and it will be inconsistent with the Companies Act4 By reducing the number of voters will also reduce the eligible pool of candidates for the committee5 The addendum amounts to amending the articles of the club which is ultra vires the provisions of the Companies ActJain though added that legalese and approaching the CM are only one part One should also pay heed to the members the lifeblood of the sport many of who seem upset by the directive A petition has been signed by members objecting to the condition They have requesting the club to take such action including legal ldquoWe have about 100 such signatures as of yesterdayrdquo he statedThe club does not want to take the matter to court and hopes they can convince the CM to cancel this condition at this levelThe RWITC has about a 2000strong member voter base of which roughly 1200 members turn up to cast their votes annually If the new directive of over 15 per cent is enforced this might halve the number casting votes