By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 29 Dec: the Uttaranchal Press Club, which is still fighting a legal battle against members ‘illegally’ expelled from the club held yet another election, today, for the new executive. It may be recalled that despite facing legal cases in the local courts as well as the High Court, the Club Executive had amended the constitution under which many of the active press club members are not even eligible to elect the new executive, while a large number of the members are not eligible even to contest the poll for the executive. Therefore, just a handful of the members by rotation are holding elections since 2016 when the club was reopened. Therefore, with the exception of the post of Treasurer, all other office bearers were elected unopposed, today. This is in contrast to the robust elections held in earlier elections when the club was the inclusive institution for all journalists that it was meant to be when founded by then Governor of UP, Motilal Vora. Election was held only for the post of treasurer between Indresh Kohli and Deepak Farswan, with Kohli managing to win. The new executive of the club comprises Devendra Sati as President, Sanjeev Kandwal as General Secretary, Harish Joshi as Senior Vice President and Surendra Dasila as Joint Secretary. It may be recalled that a large majority of members were thrown out of the club on contentious grounds by the executive committee for the year 2017 and the club is facing legal cases in various courts against its decision. The election of that executive committee is still under legal challenge but still the committee went ahead after throwing out a large number of the members and amended the constitution making it more like a closed proprietorship firm.
