Mumbai, Oct 2026 : Veteran actors Padmini Kolhapuri and Poonam Dhillon secured the highest number of votes in the Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) executive committee elections held on Tuesday, amid an ongoing dispute over the association’s functioning and competing election processes.
Padmini Kolhapuri received 604 votes, narrowly ahead of Poonam Dhillon, who secured 601 votes. Actor Rakesh Bedi finished third with 575 votes, followed by Kanwarjit Paintal with 548 and Chandraprakash Thakur with 514 votes.
Other candidates who secured seats in the election included Abhay Bhaargava (439), Ghanshyam Shrivastav (395), Jaya Bhattacharya (392), Tina Ghai (374), Rajit Kapur (340), Sheeba Akashdeep (322), Ramesh Goyal (296), Jitendra Singh (284), Mohd Farooq Bandhukia (272) and Rohit Roy (268).
Following the results, Dhillon outlined measures she had introduced to strengthen transparency and accountability within the association. She said every elected executive committee member should receive a copy of the CINTAA constitution and familiarise themselves with its rules and regulations.
Dhillon also said she had introduced an oath-taking ceremony requiring elected members to commit to following the constitution, acting fairly and prioritising the welfare of members. She expressed hope that both practices would continue in future elections.
According to Dhillon, approximately 670 members participated in the voting. She described the turnout as encouraging, particularly because the election coincided with a festival holiday.
The election comes against the backdrop of months of internal conflict within CINTAA. In August, 11 members of the 21-member executive committee resigned, alleging autocratic functioning within the association. Some members, including Upasna Singh and Sahila Chadha, accused Kolhapuri and Dhillon of alleged financial irregularities and authoritarian management. These allegations remain contested.
The dispute subsequently led to a separate election conducted in September by the Upasna Singh-led faction. In that contest, Singh and Chadha reportedly received the highest number of votes.
The September election followed a court decision refusing to stay fresh polls ordered by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). However, the results of the September 12 election cannot be implemented until further proceedings, with the next hearing scheduled for October 26, 2026.
The competing election processes have left CINTAA facing continuing uncertainty over its leadership and governance, with the court proceedings expected to be significant in determining the status of the rival results.
