PUNE: Zavaray Poonawalla, who promised to bring in more money through sponsorships and by solving the higher GST that has plagued Indian racing, was elected Chairman of the Royal Western India Turf Club at the first meeting of the Managing Committee held soon after the results to the Managing Committee were announced.

Poonawalla, who put his hat into the ring at the last moment made a remarkable turnaround as his entire panel, both for the managing committee and for the Board of Appeal, was elected ousting the incumbent Khushroo Dhunjibhoy, who was himself placed fourth behind Poonawalla, Zinia Lawyer and Geoffrey Nagpal at the end of the counting of last vote.

Zavaray Poonawalla got 836 votes followed by Zinia Lawyer (796), Geoffrey Nagpal (745), Khushroo Dhunjibhoy (742), Surendra Sanas (739), Milan Luthria (732), Jaydev Mody (698), Ram Shroff (686) and Vijay Shirke (685). 

Hoshang Nazir and Dilip Goculdas have been elected to the Board of Appeal, while the former chairman Vivek Jain, who withdrew from the contest after the deadline of withdrawal had passed, still polled 536 votes. Another sitting member, Sunil Jhangianai, had to face defeat after he polled 676 votes.