MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena leadership is at the receiving end for its inept handling of the BEST employees’ indefinite strike. It appears that owing to ego problem, there’s no end to strike. Efforts were made to ensure that the strike doesn’t not end following intervention of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, so that he does not get the credit. At the same time, CM Devendra Fadnavis too was kept away from negotiations, so that he too does not get the credit—in the process commuters were the sufferers and BEST workers’ union leader Shashank Rao emerged as the new leader.A BJP cabinet member told TOI: “The Sena leadership must accept the responsibility, as the BEST as well as the BMC is controlled by the Sena.” According to him, Fadnavis did knock at the doors of Thackeray on January 10, but was politely told that his intervention was not required and senior Sena leaders will resolve the dispute.“BEST workers leaders are firm, and management is reluctant to consider their demand. Both parties must take a few steps back in the larger interest of the commuters,’’ he said.The cabinet member said it appears that the Sena as well as the BEST administration did not take Rao’s leadership seriously when a strike notice was served on December 24, and by the time they realised his strength and support from all the workers, it was too late. Till January 10, no serious efforts were made to resolve the issue, he said.Rao himself had said that the BEST administration was not serious in resolving the dispute. “No doubt the Sena leadership failed, at the same CM too must fix responsibility on the BEST administration for its casual approach,’’ he said.

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