Mumbai, Oct 13 (IANS): Advocate Ashish Shelar, a former minister and currently the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mumbai unit President, is not only a master at political games, but is also a keen sports enthusiast, besides love for Bollywood and passion for music.

Earlier in the fray for the post of President of the prestigious Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) - a post he had held earlier too, Shelar, 50 - who enjoys a close personal rapport with Union Home Minister Amit Shah - has now has filed his nomination for the post of BCCI Treasurer.

Having humble beginnings in a decrepit chawl in south-central Mumbai, Shelar did his B.Sc and later acquired a law degree, and remains adept at managing contrasting odds even in his public life - politics, sports, Bollywood, et al, and knows how to call a spade a spade, come what may, as the political Opposition in the state are well aware.

Starting as a young RSS volunteer, Shelar later served with the ABVP and the BJYM, then climbed up to become a BJP municipal corporator and the party leader in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), shot up to be awarded a term as an MLC, and now is a second term MLA from Bandra.

Almost at the fag-end of the previous BJP government led by former Chief Minister (now Deputy CM) Devendra Fadnavis, Shelar fulfilled his cherished dream of becoming a Minister, albeit for a brief period, but any further hopes for a cabinet berth were dashed as the BJP then lost power to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Even after the toppling of the MVA headed by Uddhav Thackeray in June, Shelar faced disappointment as he was overlooked for a ministerial berth, but was consoled by the powerful post of Mumbai BJP chief.

A diehard fan of the legendary playback singer Mohammed Rafi, Shelar heads the Mumbai district football association with over 350 clubs as members, connected with the Rajasthan Sports Club, and was elected MCA member in 2015, later as President in 2017.