Samant, who led the Sena (UBT)-affiliated union for nearly 25 years, stepped down a day after party leader Aaditya Thackeray admitted there were shortcomings in the election planning and indicated an internal reshuffle was likely
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) is the transport and electricity supply wing of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Representational Pic
Suhas Samant, president of the BEST Kamgar Sena, resigned on Friday, accepting moral responsibility for the defeat of the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS joint panel in the employees' credit society election.
Samant, who led the Sena (UBT)-affiliated union for nearly 25 years, stepped down a day after party leader Aaditya Thackeray admitted there were shortcomings in the election planning and indicated an internal reshuffle was likely.
"I have resigned, taking moral responsibility of the defeat. The entire committee of 14 members, too, has resigned," said Samant, who is one of the deputy leaders in the Shiv Sena (UBT), reported news agency PTI.
While the election to the BEST Employees Cooperative Credit Society is generally a low-key affair, Samant made it a prestige battle, which backfired, said a Sena (UBT) source.
Amid a buzz about Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, led by estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, coming together for civic polls in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra, the two parties put up a joint panel in the credit society election earlier this week.
But the panel lost on all 21 seats. The rival panel of Shashank Rao bagged the maximum 14 seats.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) is the transport and electricity supply wing of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Thackeray cousins' alliance won't make any difference to Mumbai politics: Nirupam
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam on Friday said the outcome of the BEST Employees’ Credit Society election proved that the alliance between Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s MNS carried no impact.
The joint panel of the two parties suffered a complete defeat in the polls earlier this week. The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) operates as the transport and power supply arm of the BMC.
(With PTI inputs)
"The election has shown that even if the Thackeray brothers, who have abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology for power and who frequently change their stand, come together, it will not make any difference to Mumbai's politics," Nirupam stated, reported news agency PTI.
The two parties tried to create a Marathi Vs Hindi divide for votes, he alleged.
"They had also claimed that the 'Thackeray brand' would guarantee their victory. But these claims fell flat, as they could not win even a single seat out of 21. With 83 per cent voter turnout, 12,000 BEST voters rejected the Thackeray brothers," Nirupam said.
(With PTI inputs)
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