Mumbai: In a classic case of confusion – and a possible power tussle within the Maharashtra government – conflicting orders over the appointment of the General Manager (GM) of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking led administrative confusion. However, the state government aftermath issued a confirmation that IAS officer Asheesh Sharma (1991 batch) is the officially appointed GM of BEST.
The government categorically stated that the Urban Development (UD) Department did not issue any order appointing Ashwini Joshi, as was widely circulated earlier in the day. This clarification comes after the circulation of two separate appointment orders, one allegedly from the General Administration Department (GAD) led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and another from the UD Department, headed by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
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A statement issued by the government clarified, “The General Administration Department appointed IAS Asheesh Sharma as the new General Manager of BEST.”
The confusion erupted after both Sharma and Joshi’s names surfaced in connection with the post, leading to speculation of an internal rift between the CM and Deputy CM.
The post of BEST GM fell vacant after SVR Srinivas retired on July 31. That same day, the GAD – under CM Fadnavis – issued an order transferring Asheesh Sharma to take charge. However, reports soon emerged that the Urban Development Department had appointed Ashwini Joshi, an Additional Municipal Commissioner, to the same post. The lack of communication between the two departments resulted in two conflicting names for one critical post.
The mix-up prompted sharp criticism from opposition parties. Congress state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal mocked the incident on social media, calling it a “double gang war” and sharing both conflicting appointment orders.
NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Rohit Pawar slammed the BJP–Shinde alliance and quipped, “Now, the BEST staff must be waiting to see if two chairs will be placed in the GM cabin.”
Opposition leaders alleged that this was more than a clerical error – pointing to underlying tensions between CM Fadnavis and Deputy CM Shinde over bureaucratic control and departmental influence.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking is responsible for managing Mumbai’s public transport and electricity supply. The General Manager post is a powerful administrative role, often requiring coordination between civic, political, and state-level departments.
With the government’s clarification, Asheesh Sharma is now the General Manager of BEST.
