Mumbai: BJP Maharashtra President and MLA Ravindra Chavan and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde emerged as the key architects of the BJP–Shiv Sena (Mahayuti) alliance's victory in the election for the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Thane District Central Cooperative (DCC) Bank, enabling the alliance to wrest control of the cooperative institution from the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA).
The victory follows the recently concluded board elections, where the contest was between the Sahakar Panel and the Parivartan Panel. To end the BVA's long-standing dominance over the bank, Chavan and Shinde fielded BJP and Shiv Sena candidates across both panels instead of backing a single front.
The strategy proved successful, with a combined 14 BJP–Shiv Sena-backed directors getting elected across the two panels, compared to seven backed by the BVA. In the subsequent election for the bank's top posts, the Mahayuti secured enough support to win the leadership positions.
Arun Balu Patil was elected Chairperson of the Thane District Central Cooperative Bank, while Bhagyashree Nilesh Bhoir was elected Vice-Chairperson.
The election also witnessed an interesting political development, with BJP leaders Kisan Kathore and Kapil Patil—who had contested against each other in the board elections under different panels—coming together during the Chairperson election. Political observers attributed the unity to Ravindra Chavan's political strategy. However, the Shiv Sena reportedly witnessed one cross-vote during the election.
The outcome marks a significant political victory for Chavan and Shinde, as the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance has successfully ended the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi's long-standing control over the Thane DCC Bank.
