The Press Club, Mumbai Elections -2010
Saturday , July 24 , From 12 noon to 7 PM
Please Vote & Support For Change with Continuity
OUR TEAM
Office Bearers Chairman : Mishra Sumant (Amar Ujala)
Vice Chairman: Bhartiya Nandkishore (Navbharat Times)
Secretary : Jha Chandra Prakash (UNI)
Joint Secretary : Raje Ashish (Mumbai Mirror)
Treasurer: Khatri Vinod (Navbharat Times)
Managing Committee Members
Abraham Renni (Sahara Times)
D’Costa Gordon (Hindustan Times)
Jha Chandra Prakash(UNI)
Mishra Sumant (Amar Ujala)
Raje Ashis ( Mumbai Mirror)
Rane Kalpana (Maharashtra Times)
Shanbagh Amit (Mail Today)
Shrivastava Anand (ANI-Reuters Television)
Thakur S.T. (UNI)
Vedpathak Harshada (ETV)
Vijayakar Pradeep (Times of India)
Viswanath G (The Hindu)
For details about our team and poll planks please visit our blog
clubpoll.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Know Your Candidates in The Press Club Elections-2010
An evening of get together at The Press Club, Mumbai
(Know Your Candidates)
Dear members,
In an effort to initiate a healthy democratic tradition in the Press Club, Mumbai, we are organizing a “know your candidates” programme in the run-up to the July 24, 2010 poll, at the Club’s conference hall from 8 pm on Wednesday (July 21, 2010), almost immediately after the close of the withdrawal of nominations.
At this get together , you will be introduced to all the candidates contesting the forthcoming poll. The leaders of the contesting panels, if they so wish, will be allowed to make a brief presentation of the issues they would like to take up at the programme.
On his part, the outgoing President Pradeep Vijayakar has graciously consented to chair the session, which is first of its kind in the history of nearly four-decade-hold Press Club.
The Returning Officer Vinod C Vasudeo will also be present.
After the programme, the members can interact with the candidates in the poll fray.
All the valid members of the club are cordially invited to the programme.
Time: From about 8 pm
Venue: The Press Club’s conference room
Date & day: July 21, 2010 (Wednesday)
Organiser: http://clubpoll.blogspot.com
(Know Your Candidates)
Dear members,
In an effort to initiate a healthy democratic tradition in the Press Club, Mumbai, we are organizing a “know your candidates” programme in the run-up to the July 24, 2010 poll, at the Club’s conference hall from 8 pm on Wednesday (July 21, 2010), almost immediately after the close of the withdrawal of nominations.
At this get together , you will be introduced to all the candidates contesting the forthcoming poll. The leaders of the contesting panels, if they so wish, will be allowed to make a brief presentation of the issues they would like to take up at the programme.
On his part, the outgoing President Pradeep Vijayakar has graciously consented to chair the session, which is first of its kind in the history of nearly four-decade-hold Press Club.
The Returning Officer Vinod C Vasudeo will also be present.
After the programme, the members can interact with the candidates in the poll fray.
All the valid members of the club are cordially invited to the programme.
Time: From about 8 pm
Venue: The Press Club’s conference room
Date & day: July 21, 2010 (Wednesday)
Organiser: http://clubpoll.blogspot.com
Protest against appointment of Mr Jatin Desai as standby RO
July 19, 2010
Mr Pradeep Vijayakar
The President,
The Press Club,
Mumbai
Sub: Appointment of Mr Jatin Desai as a stand-by Returning Officer
Dear Sir,
We are surprised to note that the Press Club has, in its election schedule for the July 24, 2010 poll, notified that Mr Jatin Desai will take charge as the Returning Officer in the absence of Mr Vinod Vasudeo. In this context, we would like to make following submissions:
1) There is no provision whatsoever in the Club’s by-laws to appoint a full-fledged stand-by Returning Officer as has been done in the case of Mr Desai.
2) Having itself taken his consent and appointed Mr Vasudeo as the Returning Officer for the poll, what has prompted the outgoing Managing Committee (MC) to appoint Mr Desai as a full-fledged stand-by Returning Officer? Is the appointment based on the MC’s assumption that Mr Vasudeo won’t be around to conduct the poll?
3) We have every reason to believe that Mr Desai’s appointment as a stand-by Returning Officer was an after-thought on the part of the MC. This is because: i) When the MC put out the list of voters for the 2010-12 poll on May 12, 2010, it announced that Mr Vasudeo has been appointed as the Returning officer. However, it made no mention of Mr Desai’s appointment as the stand-by Returning Officer. ii) We are also given to understand that no decision was taken by the MC either at the meeting held on April 30,2010( in which it appointed Mr Vasudeo as the RO) or at the subsequent meetings, to appoint Mr Desai as an RO in the absence of Mr Vasudev.
In view of the above, we have a very strong reason to infer that there is more than what meets the eye behind Mr Desai’s appointment as the stand-by RO.
In addition, we would like to like to put on record that we have absolutely no confidence in Mr Desai’s ability to conduct the 2010-12 poll in a free and fair manner in view of his questionable conduct as an RO during the 2008-10 Club poll. The following are the instances of lack of fair play on his part in the conduct of the 2008-10 poll:
a) You may recall that in reply to serious questions raised by member CP Jha with regard to the final voters’ list, Mr Desai gave an constitutionally untenable reasoning to allow 80-odd “new” members who have not completed one full year as “ordinary members” in the club, to vote in the poll.
Mr Desai’s ruling was in violation of Article 5 of Constitution which clearly states: “Only an ordinary member has the right to vote at every General Body Meeting provided he/she is not in arrears of subscription for current year. However he/she shall be entitled to voting right only after one year as ordinary member”. If you see the emphasis laid in the Article 5, the rule makes it abundantly clear that ordinary members shall have voting rights only one year after having become member the press club. However, the interpretation of the Article 5 as given in writing by Mr Desai to justify his ruling does not stand the scrutiny of law. While we are going to contest Mr Desai’s written ruling given on July 24,2007 (nearly a month after the 2008-10 poll) in the AGM scheduled for July 23,2010, we are separately contemplating initiating legal action against the Club and Mr Desai for wrong interpretation of the Article 5 in the by-laws.
b) Mr Desai breached the secrecy of ballot in the 2008-10 poll by marking each ballot paper serially. Mr Jha had objected to such marking by Mr Desai after the 2008-10 polling, by saying that such marking would help establish the identity of the voters and know in the process voting details of the members concerned. This in essence means that the marking of ballot papers defeats the very purpose of holding a secret ballot Shockingly enough, Mr Desai had – after the 2008-10 poll-- gone out of the way to justify his decision mark the ballot papers.
Under the above circumstances, we reiterate that we have no confidence in Mr Desai’s impartial role as the even as the stand-by RO.
At the same time, we are contesting the very decision by the outgoing MC to appoint Mr Desai as the stand-by RO. Given that there is no provision for such an appointment in the club’s by-laws, we request you to quash Mr Desai’s appointment forthwith. In the event of Mr Vasudeo needing assistance, the members of the constitutionally-appointed Scrutiny Committee may please be drafted to either assist him or the scrutiny committee themselves may be asked to conduct in the worst-case scenario of Mr Vasudev not being able to conduct the poll himself.
While on the subject, we also request you to allow the contesting panels (both ruling and opposition formations) to have two representatives each as polling agents both during polling and counting of votes, at the conference room where the two processes will be held on July 24, 2004.
Thanking you and awaiting your swift action in the matter
Yours truly,
(G Viswanath) (CP Jha)
Membership no 132 Membership no 388
Mr Pradeep Vijayakar
The President,
The Press Club,
Mumbai
Sub: Appointment of Mr Jatin Desai as a stand-by Returning Officer
Dear Sir,
We are surprised to note that the Press Club has, in its election schedule for the July 24, 2010 poll, notified that Mr Jatin Desai will take charge as the Returning Officer in the absence of Mr Vinod Vasudeo. In this context, we would like to make following submissions:
1) There is no provision whatsoever in the Club’s by-laws to appoint a full-fledged stand-by Returning Officer as has been done in the case of Mr Desai.
2) Having itself taken his consent and appointed Mr Vasudeo as the Returning Officer for the poll, what has prompted the outgoing Managing Committee (MC) to appoint Mr Desai as a full-fledged stand-by Returning Officer? Is the appointment based on the MC’s assumption that Mr Vasudeo won’t be around to conduct the poll?
3) We have every reason to believe that Mr Desai’s appointment as a stand-by Returning Officer was an after-thought on the part of the MC. This is because: i) When the MC put out the list of voters for the 2010-12 poll on May 12, 2010, it announced that Mr Vasudeo has been appointed as the Returning officer. However, it made no mention of Mr Desai’s appointment as the stand-by Returning Officer. ii) We are also given to understand that no decision was taken by the MC either at the meeting held on April 30,2010( in which it appointed Mr Vasudeo as the RO) or at the subsequent meetings, to appoint Mr Desai as an RO in the absence of Mr Vasudev.
In view of the above, we have a very strong reason to infer that there is more than what meets the eye behind Mr Desai’s appointment as the stand-by RO.
In addition, we would like to like to put on record that we have absolutely no confidence in Mr Desai’s ability to conduct the 2010-12 poll in a free and fair manner in view of his questionable conduct as an RO during the 2008-10 Club poll. The following are the instances of lack of fair play on his part in the conduct of the 2008-10 poll:
a) You may recall that in reply to serious questions raised by member CP Jha with regard to the final voters’ list, Mr Desai gave an constitutionally untenable reasoning to allow 80-odd “new” members who have not completed one full year as “ordinary members” in the club, to vote in the poll.
Mr Desai’s ruling was in violation of Article 5 of Constitution which clearly states: “Only an ordinary member has the right to vote at every General Body Meeting provided he/she is not in arrears of subscription for current year. However he/she shall be entitled to voting right only after one year as ordinary member”. If you see the emphasis laid in the Article 5, the rule makes it abundantly clear that ordinary members shall have voting rights only one year after having become member the press club. However, the interpretation of the Article 5 as given in writing by Mr Desai to justify his ruling does not stand the scrutiny of law. While we are going to contest Mr Desai’s written ruling given on July 24,2007 (nearly a month after the 2008-10 poll) in the AGM scheduled for July 23,2010, we are separately contemplating initiating legal action against the Club and Mr Desai for wrong interpretation of the Article 5 in the by-laws.
b) Mr Desai breached the secrecy of ballot in the 2008-10 poll by marking each ballot paper serially. Mr Jha had objected to such marking by Mr Desai after the 2008-10 polling, by saying that such marking would help establish the identity of the voters and know in the process voting details of the members concerned. This in essence means that the marking of ballot papers defeats the very purpose of holding a secret ballot Shockingly enough, Mr Desai had – after the 2008-10 poll-- gone out of the way to justify his decision mark the ballot papers.
Under the above circumstances, we reiterate that we have no confidence in Mr Desai’s impartial role as the even as the stand-by RO.
At the same time, we are contesting the very decision by the outgoing MC to appoint Mr Desai as the stand-by RO. Given that there is no provision for such an appointment in the club’s by-laws, we request you to quash Mr Desai’s appointment forthwith. In the event of Mr Vasudeo needing assistance, the members of the constitutionally-appointed Scrutiny Committee may please be drafted to either assist him or the scrutiny committee themselves may be asked to conduct in the worst-case scenario of Mr Vasudev not being able to conduct the poll himself.
While on the subject, we also request you to allow the contesting panels (both ruling and opposition formations) to have two representatives each as polling agents both during polling and counting of votes, at the conference room where the two processes will be held on July 24, 2004.
Thanking you and awaiting your swift action in the matter
Yours truly,
(G Viswanath) (CP Jha)
Membership no 132 Membership no 388
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