Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray (L) and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: As the Thackeray cousins—Uddhav and Raj—were taking baby steps to form an alliance in the run up to the Maharashtra’s mega local bodies’ election, their efforts received a major setback as their joint panel was bowled out on a duck in the high-voltage elections to the BEST Employees Cooperative Credit Society Ltd.
The society is a body of the employees of BrihanMumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST).
The alliance was significant as it came ahead of the elections to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The BEST credit cooperative has 21 seats and 12,656 of the 15,123 members cast their votes - 83.69%, during elections on Monday.
Around 150 candidates were in fray for the polls.
The counting of votes started on Tuesday and continued till the wee hours of Wednesday.
Out of 21 candidates, the panel led by labour leader Shashank Rao won 14 seats, and the Shramik Panel led by BJP legislator Prasad Lad, a close aide of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, secured seven seats.
Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and MNS founder-President Raj Thackeray are working on an alliance, but the results were a shocker to them as the Utkarsha Panel comprising BEST Kamgar Sena and MNS Kamgar Sena, lost all the seats.
While the BEST Kamgar Sena contested 18 of the 21 seats, the MNS Kamgar Sena contested two and the BEST SC/ST Employees Welfare Association ran in the polls as part of the alliance.
There were five panels in the fray, including one of eminent trade unionist Shashank Rao, who is the son of late trade union leader Sharad Rao, the man who controlled Hind Mazdoor Sabha, the BEST Workers’ Union and the Municipal Mazdoor Union and one-time close associate of late socialist leader and former Defence Minister George Fernandes.
Shashank Rao’s panel won 14 of the 21 seats.
“The “Thackeray" brand 21 faced 000, 00/21, meaning the brand's boss could not win a single seat,” Lad posted on X.
“We have lost, but I congratulate those who have won. Now you may ask, how did this happen when twelve thousand employees were with me? Over the past week, there was a huge flow of money. We thought employees might accept the money but still vote for us. But against money power, we fell short,” said Suhas Samant, the President of BEST Kamgar Sena.
Asked about election results, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief minister Sanjay Raut said that it was at a very local level and he has not followed it. “These were local elections,” he said, while reaffirming that the cousins will together put up a big fight in local bodies elections. "These are trade union elections...I don't have full details," he said, however, added: "The Thackeray brand never fails."
There was also the union owing allegiance to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
State Cultural Affairs Minister and Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar said that the results are a good omen for Mumbaikars. “In the BEST Credit Society election, Mumbaikars won, workers won. The workers gave us a good omen and handed a big pumpkin to those fighting for "credit" and “society." It has been made clear once again that Mumbaikars, workers, and laborers are on our side. We didn’t fight as a party, but our Prasad Lad and Shashank Rao emerged victorious. This is indeed a great omen!! This victory came to us after elections were held on ballot papers,” said Shelar.