he dust has settled on the Lahore Gymkhana Committee of Management election, but the real contest may just be beginning. Following the polling day on February 14 — a date usually reserved for flowers rather than ballots — the club’s 5,600-strong electorate has delivered a perfectly split verdict.

With two major panels — namely, Salman-Misbah and Monopoly Breakers — securing six seats each, the club now faces a leadership puzzle: who will take the chairperson’s seat?

The election was characterised by an unusually crowded field of 39 candidates. “I don’t know whether this set a record, but in all these years since I’ve been voting, I’ve never seen such a long list,” notes Dr Farid A Malik, a second-generation member of the club.

Out of the 3,158 votes cast, Dr Ali Razaque, the leader of Monopoly Breakers, emerged as the top scorer for the fourth consecutive time with 1,772 votes. Close behind were Salman Siddique (1,733) and Mian Misbah-ur Rehman (1,700) of the Salman-Misbah panel.

Monopoly Breakers’ other elected candidates were Kamran Lashari (1,637 votes); Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera (1,549); Dr Jawad Sajid Khan (1,328); and Tasneem Noorani (1,297). Salman-Misbah’s elected panel has Wajid Aziz Khan (1,693 votes); Sarmad Nadeem (1,536); Mian Parvez Bhandara (1,268); and Samaira Nazir (1,201 votes).

Out of the COM’s 12 seats, six have gone to each of the two groups.

Interestingly, there was a third group, named the Reformers, led by Kamal Khan Bobby, another club veteran. The race effectively became a three-way ideological battle, with Salman-Misbah panel representing the status quo; the Monopoly Breakers, a fresh team campaigning for a shift in governance; and the Reformers, claiming to be the reformists.

That Bobby didn’t win a seat, despite a vocal campaign, is another story.

Salman-Misbah’s Wajid Aziz Khan calls the voting trend as mostly “person specific.” He adds, “Each candidate received votes based on their personality, conduct and relations with other members.”

Khan described it “a tough and difficult election,” but hopes that whatever situation has emerged “will ultimately do well for the club.”

he 6-6 split has created a constitutional headache. Lashari, a key figure in the Monopoly Breakers, notes that the club’s bylaws lack a roadmap for such a tie, lamenting that the COM does not consist of an odd number of seats to ensure a tie-break.

Two primary solutions are currently circulating in the club’s corridors:

The Term-Sharing Model: Both panels share the chairmanship on a rotation basis (e.g., six months each), with Dr Razaque potentially taking the first stint as the highest vote-getter;

The Aggregate Vote Model: Some members argue that the Salman-Misbah panel should lead, as their winning candidates secured 9,131 votes compared to the Monopoly Breakers’ 7,635.

One thing both the groups agree on is that once the new committee starts functioning, its focus will be on managing the club. To quote Aziz, “Thank God, there is no carryover of issues. The financial condition [of the club] has improved. When finances are stable, other matters will automatically improve.”

He also talks of development work under way: a new parking lot is being built. It shall accommodate up to 160 more vehicles; and two padel courts are being constructed, as the sport has become very popular among the younger generation. These projects have already been approved by the committee, so whichever administration takes charge, is likely to continue with the projects.

“The beauty of Lahore Gymkhana elections is that once they are over, everything is over,” says Khan. “At the end of the day, we are like family.”

Whether that family can agree on a head of the household remains to be seen. The Salman-Misbah panel has already put forward Salman Siddiqui as their candidate for the chairmanship. Monopoly Breakers’ next move is eagerly awaited.

Ahsan Raza is the editor of Minute Mirror. He can be reached at [email protected]