Secret Ballot

Two new words entered our collective consciousness today: Secret Ballot. Till yesterday, there were no secrets in the Club, nor was there any question of a ballot. People wandered in and out casually, exercised at will and drifted away unannounced. Some stayed back and the membership list was accordingly revised from time to time. But now, with the by-laws in place, every entrant is expected to be not only regular for three months at a stretch, but to also enjoy the confidence of 80 per cent of the members before s/he can be admitted to the Club.
For Jagmohan Papneja, Arun Patil and Hem Chand Jain, today was their day of reckoning. The question of their induction, which had been hanging fire for long, was put to rest with 26 members casting their vote in what was to be the first electoral exercise of its kind for the Club.
Earlier, Srichand Arora issued a formal notice (on behalf of the chairman) and distributed slips of paper for members to mark their vote, for or against. They dutifully stood their turn in a queue (lead pic) and hung around patiently through the three rounds of counting (right), little realizing that they had inadvertently turned the Garden into a sprawling open-air polling station. Also, in the best traditions of democracy, there was the usual flurry of activity accompanied by frantic phone calls, whisper campaigns and reckless lobbying that precede any poll. At one stage, Santosh Tyagi even became apprehensive of “booth capturing”!
But in the end, all three candidates sailed through with an overwhelming margin: Jain leading the table with 21 votes in favour (out of 26), followed by Papneja with 20 and Patil with 18. Their endorsement by the managing committee now remains a formality. Here Jain and Patil are seen (left) flanked by Arora and Shekhawat, the two guardians of the Club instrumental for carrying the day. Papneja was away at Delhi on an emergency.
Big Laaf congratulates the winners and welcomes them into its fold.
Renu Babani's PICSPEAK:
* "Okay, everyone please stay in line and wait your turn... patience!"
* "I don't know what to do with these pieces of paper..."
* "Celebration time as we join the Club!"