NECK TO NECK FIGHT IN PRESS CLUB OF INDIA ELECTIONS

The election to the Press Club of India finally ended today with one thousand seven hundred journalists voting from 10 AM to 6 PM. As compared to the last year, this time 250 more members voted and it is being believed that this enhancement may be due to the enrollment of fresh members.

However, both the camps i.e. the Lahiri and Sen panels are keeping their fingers crossed till the final results come out on Sunday, the 26th November evening but observers say that it was more or less a mix voting trend, totally unpredictable as the contest was neck to neck. Whatever may be the final outcome of this prestigious annual poll but one thing is for sure that the club did a massive business today with PCI members and their fellow beings thronging the club in large numbers, since afternoon.

The liquor, tea, snacks and lunch were open for the whole day finally dinner in the evening obviously leading the club to make tremendous profits out of the record sale. The elections of press club of India is an annual feature which is an opportunity for journalistic fraternity to meet their old friends at least on this day for sure. Prominent among those who voted in this election were the editor in chief of India TV Rajat Sharma, Chief editor and anchor of India News Deepak Chaurasia, popular TV Anchor Ajit Anjum, former AAT Tak Anchor Deepak Sharma, veteran journalist and octogenarian Vishva Bandhu Gupta, former Railway minister and veteran journalist Ajay Singh, NDTV Anchor and popular journalist Ravish Kumar, former CBI spokesman and Press Secretary to former president Dr. Abdul Kalam Mr. Khan, Pankaj Vohra, Punya Prasoon Vajpayee of AAJ Tak and others.

A large number of journalists of print and electronic media were seen campaigning and voting for their respective panels. The significance of the PCI election is that while during this period the membership of all the journalists enrolled to this body gets renewed i.e. the balance if any is cleared and the club do a hefty business as well through the sale of liquor and food stuff. The current panel of Lahiri, Bharti, Vinay n Mahua is on the saddle since 2010 and each time which ever panel had contested against them has lost.

This would be their eighth victory in succession if they win though what happens on Sunday after the counting session in the evening, is anybody’s guess. However, the contest between both the panels have been very competetive and nothing outrightly can be predicted as to who’s going to win and who’s to lose.
Sunil Negi, President, Uttarakhand Journalists Forum
Member, Press Club of India