Triumphant Pawar hails observer's role

While the results of the election had not yet been officially announced, the results were widely accepted, and Sharad Pawar came out of the meeting room to briefly address the media. Pawar thanked TS Krishna Murthy, the observer, for "taking pains" to "clear the way for a smooth election". He added that his aim was to "develop basic infrastructure", and hoped to get "full co-operation" from Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the outgoing president. He also said he wanted to give "support and strength to the younger generation." It was hard to grab more than snatches of Pawar's statement, as cameramen and photographers jockeyed for space, screaming and shouting. Even the few words that made it out of the melee were only possible after Lalit Modi, president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, yelled, "If you don't stop screaming we can't even get to first base," mixing sporting metaphors and betraying the time he spent in USA.