The political landscape of Maharashtra has been thrown into sharp relief following two dramatic events: the overwhelming defeat of the Thackeray brothers’ panel in the Mumbai BEST Co-operative Bank elections and the explosive allegations of large-scale voter duplication in the Panvel Assembly constituency. Both developments, reported in detail by Indian Express, Frontline, and other outlets, have sent shockwaves through the state’s political establishment, raising tough questions about leadership, electoral fairness, and the future of regional alliances.
On August 20, 2025, the results of the Mumbai BEST Co-operative Bank elections were announced, delivering what many saw as a crushing blow to the Thackeray brothers. The Shashank Rao panel, known for its strong labor union roots, captured 14 out of the 21 seats, while the Mahayuti-supported Sahakar Samruddhi panel took the remaining seven. The much-hyped Utkarsh panel, a rare joint effort by the Thackeray cousins—Uddhav of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)—failed to secure a single seat. According to Indian Express, this was particularly startling given that the voter base was predominantly Marathi-speaking, a demographic long considered the backbone of Thackeray support.
Shashank Rao, speaking at a press conference after the results, did not mince words. "There are many bands. But only those who work for the benefit of workers and the public survive. Even if you are alone, people elect you. The BEST credit society election has proven this once again." Rao’s victory speech was not just a celebration; it was a pointed critique of the Thackeray brothers’ leadership, accusing them of failing to deliver on promises and neglecting workers’ interests.
Rao’s gratitude was reserved for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP leader Ashish Shelar, both of whom he credited for supporting workers’ demands. "I am a believer in BJP's ideology. But the purpose of labor unions is singular – to fight for workers' rights. Political support is needed for that. Devendra Fadnavis and Ashish Shelar have always supported the demands of the workers. We have definitely benefited from that," he stated, as reported by Indian Express.
The defeat has left the Thackeray camp reeling. Not only did their panel fail to win any of the 19 seats it contested, but the united Shiv Sena’s nine-year control over the cooperative came to an abrupt end. For Uddhav Thackeray, already weakened by losing much of his party to the Eknath Shinde-led faction, it was another setback. For Raj Thackeray, the loss reinforced doubts about his party’s organizational strength. The election had been billed as a test run for a possible “larger Marathi front” to counter the BJP-Sena alliance in upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. Instead, the results have cast doubt on the viability of such a front.
The campaign itself was high-decibel, with the Thackeray cousins invoking Marathi pride and challenging the BJP-Shiv Sena combine on issues of language and identity. Yet, as Indian Express notes, the BJP camp was jubilant. Slogans like “BEST to jhanki hai, BMC abhi baaki hai” (“BEST was a preview, BMC is next”) reflected their confidence. BJP spokespersons mocked the Thackeray brand, with Prasad Lad declaring, "The Thackeray brand scored a triple zero. The brand’s bosses could not secure even a single seat." Keshav Upadhyay quipped, "the result of adding two zeroes is zero."
Not all observers are convinced the results spell doom for the Thackerays in the upcoming civic polls. Dr. Sanjay Patil, a political researcher at Mumbai University, told Indian Express, "Yes, the Thackerays failed to attract their Marathi voter base in the BEST polls but it is far fetched to say the same would happen in the BMC polls. The issues in the BEST polls are worker-centric while they are very different in the civic polls." Still, the defeat has undeniably raised questions about the cousins’ strategy and the depth of their support.
Meanwhile, the integrity of Maharashtra’s electoral process is under fire following revelations of massive voter duplication in Panvel and neighboring constituencies. The issue, first spotlighted by Rahul Gandhi in a mid-August press conference, has since been corroborated by investigations led by Balaram Patil, the Peasants and Workers’ Party candidate in Panvel. According to Frontline, Patil’s team uncovered a staggering 85,211 duplicated voter names across four constituencies: 25,855 in Panvel, 27,275 in Uran, 16,096 in Airoli, and 15,397 in Belapur, with an additional 588 names marked as dubious.
Patil’s efforts to have these names removed were stymied by bureaucratic inertia and judicial delays. After filing a writ petition in September 2024, he was told by the Bombay High Court that the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) must make a decision within two weeks. However, with elections imminent, the court ultimately ruled that it was not feasible to correct the rolls in time, and the SDO rejected Patil’s plea. The electoral rolls remained unchanged, and voting proceeded on November 20, 2024. When the results were announced, BJP’s Prashant Thakur had won by a margin of 51,091 votes.
Refusing to accept defeat, Patil continued his investigation. By meticulously analyzing booth-level electoral rolls, his team identified 11,628 cases of multiple voting across 490 booths, with the expectation that the total would exceed 17,000 once all 574 booths were reviewed. "We had done calculations for each booth. After the results, we saw those calculations collapsing. We decided to investigate further into the results," Patil told Frontline.
Patil’s allegations are grave. He claims, "Frankly speaking, I do not have any hope from the ECI. Because my allegation is that this malpractice is being done by the BJP with the active help of the Election Commission. If the ECI remains neutral, it is not at all possible to do such ‘vote chori’. This is daylight robbery of the election." Despite approaching the Chief Electoral Officer and the Chief Election Commissioner with his evidence in June 2025, Patil has yet to receive a response.
BJP MLA Prashant Thakur, for his part, has dismissed the allegations, suggesting that population growth and migration explain the duplicates: "More than one lakh people have come to reside in Panvel in the last few years. It is possible that some people might have their names in two different constituencies or even two different booths. This can’t be called fraud." He also accused Patil of seeking publicity.
The controversy has been further inflamed by the Election Commission’s refusal to release CCTV footage of polling stations, citing privacy concerns, and by Patil’s claim that he was given blank VVPAT machines for verification rather than actual election data. The lack of transparency has only deepened suspicion and fueled political acrimony.
As Maharashtra heads into a new political season, the twin crises of leadership and electoral credibility loom large. The defeat of the Thackeray cousins in the BEST elections and the unresolved allegations of voter duplication in Panvel have left both the state’s old guard and its institutions facing uncomfortable questions—and the answers may shape the region’s political future for years to come.
