India, Aug. 21 -- Uddhav and Raj Thackeray received a jolt on Wednesday when their first alliance in a poll-the BEST employees' credit society election-came a cropper, not just causing the Shiv Sena (UBT) to lose power in the credit cooperative society but failing to win it even a single seat. The election to the 21 seats of the society was held on August 18.

The panel floated by trade union leader Shashank Rao's BEST Workers Union won 14 seats, the BJP-sponsored Sahakar panel won six while the SC/ST Employees Union won one seat. Rao, who joined the BJP in 2024, gave the credit for his panel's victory to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai guardian minister Ashish Shelar.

The Sena (UBT) and MNS had jointly fielded a panel as the...