MUMBAI: The stage is set for elections to the managing council and various other posts in the Asiatic Society of Mumbai (ASM), after it published the final list of voters on Saturday. The elections, scheduled for March 14, will fill 19 positions on the managing council, with 45 candidates in the fray. A keen contest is also expected for the post of president, with former Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kumar Ketkar facing off against BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.
Both have their own panels for different positions, making it a political contest for the first time.
The ASM, long regarded as a pillar of scholarship, is witnessing an election contest unprecedented in its history. This follows 1,363 members taking life and annual membership between April 1 and November 26, 2025, according to the new voters’ list published by ASM on its website on Saturday.
The surge in membership and attention to the institution is unprecedented, officials said.
“We have always been keen on adding new members who are genuinely interested in contributing to ASM. But I am sorry to see that it is sort of getting politicised and I don’t know what people’s intentions are. Frankly, I don’t understand in what sense the Asiatic Society is going to get political mileage,” said Vispi Balaporia, 84, outgoing president, who served ASM for three consecutive terms.
“Fortunately, we have a group of people contesting the elections who are genuinely committed to ensuring that the Asiatic Society continues to function as it is meant to. I am glad they are willing to step forward so that it does not turn into merely a tug of war between two political factions,” added Balaporia, the first woman president of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, established in 1804.
Both Ketkar and Sahasrabuddhe are contesting the president’s position for the first time. Ketkar is a managing committee member, while Sahasrabuddhe is a two-time former vice–president of the society. Both sides have fielded panels for other positions such as – four vice-presidents, honorary secretary, six managing committee members and seven scrutinising committee members.
The controversy over ASM elections started when a quick climb of around 400 members was noticed, rumoured to be an attempt by one faction to influence the election results. When this became public, the opposing faction flooded the ASM register with hundreds of fresh applications, members said.
The election date of November 8, 2025 and the October 15, 2025 cut-off for new members eligible to vote were also contested by two members, leading to complaints before the charity commissioner. This subsequently turned into litigation before the Bombay High Court.
For the March 14 elections, November 26, 2025 has been set as the cut-off date to determine the voting eligibility of new members.
Balaporia said they have received several complaints from those who had applied for membership but did not find their names on the voters’ list. “In cases where legitimate names will be added to the list, they will also get the voting right if they applied for membership before November 26. Post this, members would be added but they will not get voting rights,” she underlined.
In addition to the president’s post, 14 candidates are contesting four vice-president positions. Two candidates are vying for the honorary secretary’s post, while 16 candidates are competing for six seats on the managing committee, and 12 candidates are in the race for seven positions on the scrutinising committee.