Umakant Lakhera – Vinay Kumar panel wins the PCI election with only treasurer post going to Basak panel

Senior syndicated journalist and former chief of bureau of Dainik Hindustan Umakant Lakhera has been elected as the president of Press Club of India defeating his nearest rival Sanjay Basak of Asian Age securing 730 votes against 622 of his rival. There was a straight fight between Umakant Lakhera – Vinay Kumar and Sanjay Basak Pallavi Ghosh panel. While Umakant Lakhera has secured maximum victory on all key posts of President, Vice President, Secretary general, joint secretary n in majority of 16 management committee seats, the Sanjay Basak panel had won the treasurer seat with Sudhi Rajan defeating Jyotika with few votes. While Sudhi secured 655 votes, Jyotika of Lakhera panel secured 629 votes. This was indeed a close contest. On secretary general’s post Vinay Kumar from Lakhera panel secured good number of votes defeating Santosh of Sanjay Basak panel securing 635 votes against his 578 votes. On the Vice president’s post the contest was quite sharp with Shahid Abbas of Umakant Lakhera panel securing 668 votes against his rival’s ( Pallavi Ghosh’s) 655 votes. It was indeed a narrow victory by merely 13 votes.

Mr Luthra of Umakant Lakhera Panel won as the joint secretary defeating his rival Manas of Basak group securing 497 votes against 410 of Manas. However, the post of treasurer was won by the rival camp represented by Basak panel as it’s candidate Sudhi defeated Lakhera panel’s treasurer candidate by securing 755 votes against 629 by Jyotika. Vijay Shakar Chaturvedi, a senior journalist has won for the fifteenth time as management committee member contesting from Umakant Lakhera panel. This is a record in itself. However, Praveen Jain of The Print and Rakesh Negi of News 18 of Basak Ghosh panel have won as management committee members.

There are in all 16 elected executive committee members in the Press Club of India body. Uttarakhand Journalists Forum’s president Sunil Negi has extended his heartiest good wishes to Umakant Lakhera and his entire panel with the optimism that it will take the Press Club of India to newer heights of progress n prosperity.

It is surprising to note that while Vinay Koumar has won for the third time as general secretary of PCI with good margin, Vijay Shankar Chaturvedi has made a record in press club history for being elected as management committee member for the 15 th time. This time too he has won from Umakant Lakhera’s panel securing 579 votes defeating his nearest rival of Basak Ghosh panel.