40 MLAs cutting across party lines came together to watch the match at a suburban restaurant

IN keeping with the spirit of unity that the game of cricket fosters throughout the country, a group of 40 young MLAs from different parties came together to watch the historic India-Pakistan clash in a Bandra restaurant yesterday.


Bandra MLA Baba Siddique had organised the get together for the 40 MLAs

A giant screen and various cuisines were arranged for them as part of the get-together, which was organised by Congress MLA Baba Siddique.

Another of the party's MLAs Nilesh Deshmukh Parvekar, independent MLA Ravi Rana, MNS MLA Ram Kadam and NCP MLA Rahul Mote were in attendance, among others.

Invitations were also sent to young ministers such as Minister of State for Finance Rajendra Mulak, and Minister of State for Home Satej Patil.

"We have been part of the present Legislature as friends for one-and-a-half years and wanted to watch the match together. We wanted to root for India and experience the joy of watching Sachin Tendulkar as a group," said Congress MLA Krishna Hegde.

"No important meetings were scheduled because of the match, so all the young MLAs thought of watching the match together," said Shiv Sena MLA Abhijit Adsul.

This is not the first time, though, that the young MLAs had a get-together. Similar ones were organised by Hegde and another MLA in the past.

They also held regular meetings earlier as part of the Youth Forum, wherein discussions were held on issues concerning the state and their constituencies.