The counting of votes for the election of the BEST Workers’ Co-operative Credit Society polls for the 2025–2030 term continued late into the night. In the final results, Shashank Rao's panel secured as many as 14 seats, while the Mahayuti-backed Prasad Lad's panel managed to win only seven seats. The Shiv Sena–MNS-backed Utkarsh panel, formed by the Thackeray brothers has failed to win even a single seat. This major setback for the Thackeray alliance, which is preparing to contest the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections in Maharashtra together.
This election drew attention due to the Thackeray brothers’ much-hyped alliance between Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray. To give them a boost, a united panel named the ‘Utkarsh Panel’ was formed. On the other hand, the Mahayuti alliance fielded the ‘Sahakar Samruddhi Panel,’ comprising BJP leaders Praveen Darekar and Prasad Lad’s Shramik Utkarsh Sabha, Minister Nitesh Rane’s Samarth Best Workers’ Union, and former Shinde Sena MLA Kiran Pawaskar’s National Workers’ Army. Apart from them, former corporator Sunil Ganacharya’s BJP Workers’ Union panel and labour leader Shashank Rao’s independent panel were also in the fray. In this tight and prestigious battle, Shashank Rao’s panel emerged as victorious, bagging 14 seats.
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Despite heavy rains on polling day on August 18, 2025, 83% voter turnout was recorded. However, counting was delayed due to weather conditions and rain alert in city. The results dealt a crushing blow to the Thackeray brothers’ Utkarsh Panel in the BEST Patpedhi elections 2025. With this loss, Shiv Sena has lost control of the society after nine years.
In the final tally, the Shashank Rao Panel won 14 seats, while the Sahakar Samruddhi Panel of Prasad Lad, Nitesh Rane and Kiran Pawaskar secured 7. The Thackeray brothers’ panel, despite contesting on 21 seats (19 by Uddhav Sena and 2 by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)), failed to win a single one. This outcome has raised serious concerns for Shiv Sena and MNS as they prepare for the crucial BMC polls.