Supreme Court seals RCA election results, cites women exclusion plea
Synopsis
The Supreme Court has sealed the results of the Rajasthan Cricket Association elections after petitioners alleged that not a single woman was allowed to vote or contest. With sons of sitting ministers and legislators among the candidates, the RCA polls have become a flashpoint for two long-running controversies in Indian sports: political capture of state associations and the systemic exclusion of women from cricket governance.
Key Takeaways
The Supreme Court on 29 September 2026 ordered RCA election results kept in a sealed cover pending further hearing.
Petitioners Megha Gaur and Deen Dayal Kumawat alleged 'not a single woman voter' or candidate was included in the electoral process.
A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant allowed polling to proceed at the RCA Academy, Jaipur , but barred declaration of results.
The final voter list comprised 38 voters from district associations, ad-hoc committees, and two former international cricketers.
Six executive posts — including President, Secretary, and Treasurer — for the 2026–29 term are at stake.
Several candidates are sons of sitting Rajasthan ministers and BJP legislators, highlighting the deep overlap between politics and sports administration.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, directed that the results of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections be kept in a sealed cover and not declared, while permitting the voting process to proceed as scheduled. The order came on a petition alleging the complete exclusion of women from the RCA electoral process.
What the Supreme Court Ordered
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana passed the direction while hearing a plea filed by Megha Gaur and Deen Dayal Kumawat. The petitioners had sought a stay on the elections altogether. The Bench, however, allowed polling to go ahead while withholding the announcement of results. 'We direct that the elections scheduled to be held today may take place. The results will not be declared. Let the results be in a sealed cover,' the CJI Kant-led Bench ordered.
Key Allegations by Petitioners
Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing the petitioners, submitted that there was 'not a single woman voter' and no woman candidate in the entire electoral process of the RCA. She further argued that the election was being pushed through in undue haste, allegedly in violation of the association's governing framework and orders passed by the Registrar, Cooperative Societies. These are serious structural objections that go beyond procedural irregularities — they raise questions of constitutional equity in the governance of a state sports body.
Background: Prolonged Disputes and Court Oversight
The RCA elections have been preceded by years of administrative wrangling and repeated delays. The Supreme Court had earlier declined to interfere with the Rajasthan High Court's directions for holding time-bound elections under the supervision of Administrator Bhaskar A. Sawant. The High Court had tasked the administrator with finalising the voter list, appointing a returning officer, and completing the polls. The apex court had also questioned the continuation of the ad-hoc committee, noting it was constituted only as a temporary arrangement to facilitate elections. The final voter list comprised 38 voters — including secretaries of 34 District Cricket Associations, conveners of the ad-hoc committees of Jaipur and Nagaur, and two former international cricketers.
Political Families in the Mix
The election has drawn considerable attention given the political lineage of several candidates. Dhananjay Singh Khinvsar, son of Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar, and Parakram Singh Rathore, son of former Minister Rajendra Rathore, filed nominations for the post of President. Pawan Dilawar, son of Education Minister Madan Dilawar, entered the contest for Vice-President, while Ashish Tiwari, son of Rajya Sabha member Ghanshyam Tiwari, filed for Treasurer. Mohit Yadav, son of BJP MLA Jaswant Yadav, submitted nominations for both Secretary and Vice-President. The concentration of political family members contesting posts in the RCA — which administers cricket in one of India's largest states — is consistent with a wider national pattern of political interests overlapping with sports administration.
What Is at Stake and What Comes Next
The elections are being held to constitute the RCA executive for the 2026–29 term, with six posts at stake — President, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, Joint Secretary, and Executive Member. Polling was held at the RCA Academy in Jaipur on Tuesday. The Supreme Court's direction means the counting process can proceed, but the outcome will remain secured in a sealed cover pending further judicial consideration of the women-exclusion challenge. The court is expected to take up the matter again in the coming days, when it will weigh the petitioners' substantive objections against the election's procedural validity.
Point of View
But the underlying allegation — zero women voters or candidates in the electoral process of a major state cricket body — is a damning indictment of how India's sports associations are governed. The Boards of Control for Cricket in India and its affiliates have long operated as closed networks where political influence displaces merit and representation. That sons of sitting ministers and legislators are competing for posts in the RCA while women are allegedly shut out entirely illustrates the dual failure: political capture and gender exclusion compounding each other. The court's eventual ruling on the substantive petition could set a precedent for inclusive governance norms across state sports bodies — or, if dismissed on procedural grounds, quietly entrench the status quo.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Supreme Court order RCA election results to be sealed?
The Supreme Court sealed the Rajasthan Cricket Association election results on 29 September 2026 after petitioners alleged that not a single woman was included as a voter or candidate in the electoral process. The court allowed polling to proceed but withheld the declaration of results pending further examination of the women-exclusion claim.
Who filed the petition against the RCA elections?
The petition was filed by Megha Gaur and Deen Dayal Kumawat, who sought a complete stay on the elections. They were represented by senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, who argued that the election was held in undue haste and in violation of the association's governing framework.
Which posts are being contested in the RCA elections?
Six executive posts are at stake for the 2026–29 term: President, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, Joint Secretary, and Executive Member. Polling was held at the RCA Academy in Jaipur on 29 September 2026.
Why are the RCA elections politically significant?
Several candidates contesting RCA posts are sons of sitting Rajasthan ministers and BJP legislators. Dhananjay Singh Khinvsar (son of Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar) and Parakram Singh Rathore (son of former Minister Rajendra Rathore) filed for President, while sons of the Education Minister, a Rajya Sabha member, and a BJP MLA also entered the fray.
What happens next after the Supreme Court's sealed-cover order?
The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter again in the coming days to hear substantive arguments on the women-exclusion allegations. Until then, the election results — already counted — remain sealed and cannot be officially declared or acted upon.
