BEST credit society served notices ahead of polls

The BEST Employees’ Credit Society faces government scrutiny over alleged irregularities, with the Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance claiming it’s a political ploy ahead of elections.

MUMBAI: The BEST Employees’ Credit Society, touted as a symbol of the much-hyped, recent alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has been served notices by the state government and the police over alleged irregularities in the cooperative.

Raj Thackeray, Chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and Uddhav Thackeray, Chief of Shiv Sena (UBT). (Raju Shinde/ HT Photo)

The BEST Kamgar Sena, a wing of the Sena (UBT) currently in control of the credit society, says the move is a ploy by the BJP-led Mahayuti government to muddy the waters ahead of the August 18 elections in the credit cooperative. The poll will pit the Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance against Mahayuti coalition partners, the BJP and Shiv Sena, both on the back foot in these elections.

More critically, the BEST Kamgar Sena sees the move as an attempt to undermine Sena (UBT)-MNS unity, the first formal alliance between the two political parties led by the Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, leaders of the Sena (UBT) and MNS, respectively.

For the upcoming polls, the Sena (UBT) will contest 18 of the 21 seats up for grabs, the MNS two seats, and the BEST SC/ST Employees Welfare Association one seat. If the alliance wins the election, the MNS will bag one more post, that of a nominated director. In contrast, the BJP and Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde will be contesting the election as opposition parties.

Now, less than a week before the polls, the credit cooperative has been served notices by the state cooperation department and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police. The first notice, dated August 13, has been served by the divisional joint registrar of co-operative societies in Mumbai. It states, “As per the complaint application by Vivekanand Ghag and Rajendra Gore, under section 89 A of Maharashtra Cooperation Department, deputy registrar Rajendra Gaikwad has been appointed as investigation officer to conduct inquiry of records of society of year 2024-25. Jitendra Chavan will assist him and they will submit an inquiry report by August 29.”

The credit society has also received a notice from the EOW, initiating an inquiry into an alleged ₹24-crore irregularity in the cooperative, on a complaint filed by Ghag.

Suhas Samant, president of the BEST Kamgar Sena, slammed the Mahayuti government and BJP leaders, alleging that BJP MLC Prasad Lad has instigated the inquiry. “For years, the BEST Kamgar Sena has been in power in the credit society. This time, however, the Sena (UBT) and MNS have entered into an alliance for the elections, which has upset Mahayuti leaders. Now the society’s office-bearers have received notices. BJP MLC Prasad Lad is behind this. They want to create confusion among voters,” he said.

“But in the last audit conducted by a government auditor, the BEST Employees Credit Society received an ‘A’ grade and this is in the public domain. How can a credit society assigned an A grade be accused of irregularities,” asked Samant.

Responding to the allegation, Prasad Lad said an inquiry will be conducted as there were irregularities in the credit cooperative. Government agencies have initiated an inquiry on the basis of a complaint filed by Ghag. The cooperation department is conducting a separate inquiry and the EOW is looking into irregularities of ₹24 crore in the credit society. If there are complaints of irregularities, how can we keep quiet, asked Lad.