Thackeray alliance gets zero in Mumbai BEST Credit Society election, BJP leader’s panel wins seven of 21 seats

The Mumbai BEST Credit society elections, perceived to be politically significant on the background of the upcoming local body elections, saw the victory of Shashank Rao panel which won 14 of the 21 seats. Significantly, the Thackeray cousins, who had fought the election together as a single panel, could not secure a single seat. Another panel, led by BJP leaders Prasad Lad and Pravin Darekar, secured seven seats. The ruling alliance claimed that the Thackerays has failed the litmus test before the upcoming elections.

The elections to the Mumbai BEST Credit Society, which has a membership of over 17,000, was held after a period of nine years. It was controlled by the Shiv Sena (UBT) till before the elections.

“It was the Thackerays who had made this political. We were looking at it as a credit society’s election. Now, it seems like the people have rejected the Thackeray brand,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

“Those who raise doubts about EVMs have received a befitting answer. The people of Maharashtra have decided that those who work should be given the opportunity to work, and those who sit at home should be made to sit at home,” Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde taunted the Thackerays after the result on Wednesday (August 20, 2025).

The Thackeray cousins had contested under ‘Utkarsh’ panel, which had fielded 21 candidates. The ‘Sahakar Samruddhi’ panel was fielded by BJP leaders Prasad Lad and Praveen Darekar. Shashank Rao, a union leader, had fielded his candidates under the Shashank Rao panel.

“It is wrong to consider this a litmus test. This cannot be compared to the BMC elections,” Sandeep Deshpande, MNS leaders, said. He had earlier claimed that money was distributed during the campaign. Shiv Sena UBT leader Suhas Samant too claimed that his party could not stand against the money power.

Shashank Rao, after winning the election, slammed Uddhav Thackeray and claimed that the result was a reply by the BEST workers against the Shiv Sena UBT’s policy of privatisation, against playing with the future of the employees and diverting the gratuity funds to fill the coffers of the favourite contractors. “It is not just about this election. Basically, the whole focus is always on what you do. Credit society was not the issue. This time, we got into the campaign very late. But the workers were really agitated with the condition which was created. The recruitments were pending for years, employees had not received the benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission. Several retired employees had not received their gratuity for three years,” he told The Hindu.

He said that of the 17,000 members, 15,093 employees were enrolled as voters. “Each winning panelist got more than 4000 votes,” he said.