A rare joint venture between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has ended in a stunning defeat, as their panel lost all 21 seats in the recent election for the BEST Employees Cooperative Credit Society Ltd. This outcome has sparked considerable discussion about the prospects of a broader alliance between the two parties.
Suhas Samant, president of the BEST Kamgar Sena (aligned with the Sena-UBT), expressed his shock to the media on Wednesday, describing the loss as "astounding." The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Shiv Sena (UBT), headed by cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, respectively, came together on one platform to contest the election, seen as a precursor to a possible alliance between the two parties. It was widely viewed as a test of their combined political strength ahead of more significant municipal elections, including the one for the influential Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Voting for the high-profile cooperative credit society, which serves employees of the Mumbai civic body’s transport and electricity wing, was held on Monday, with counting concluding late on Tuesday night. The rival panel led by trade union leader Shashank Rao emerged victorious, securing a commanding 14 seats.
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Samant claimed that "money prevailed in this election," suggesting that financial incentives had influenced the outcome. His concerns were echoed by MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande, who had also alleged on Monday that money was being used to sway voters.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS had formed a panel, namely, 'Utkarsh' for the election, fielding a total of 21 candidates. The panel comprised 18 candidates from the Shiv Sena (UBT), two from the MNS, and one from the Association of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which is affiliated with them.
The election took place amid ongoing speculation about a potential alliance between the two Thackeray-led parties for upcoming local body polls across the state. Leaders from both sides had previously acknowledged that the MNS did not have a strong presence within the BEST undertaking, but saw the credit society election as a valuable platform to gauge their combined influence. They also believed the collaboration would send a political message of unity to the public.
In addition to the ‘Utkarsh’ and Shashank Rao panels, the election also saw competition from Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Prasad Lad’s ‘Sahakar Samruddhi’ panel and a panel from the union aligned with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena. The BEST Employees Cooperative Credit Society Ltd, which has over 15,000 current and former employees as members, has for many years been dominated by the BEST Kamgar Sena, which is aligned with Uddhav Thackeray's party.
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