Ira Deshpande, Pune
With the Maharashtra Assembly Elections right around the corner, Ex MNS chief Vasant More re-enters the Shiv Sena fold on Tuesday by joining the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). More’s entry comes as an active effort to increase the party’s presence in Pune.
It is reported that More drove to Mumbai last week to meet Uddhav Thackery and expressed interest in joining Shiv Sena (UBT). On Tuesday, Mr. More met Mr. Thackeray and Rajya Sabha member Mr. Sanjay Raut and joined the party at Thackeray’s Mumbai residence ‘Matoshree’.
Mr. Uddhav Thackeray during the induction said that Mr. More had the responsibility of Strengthening the Sena’s presence in Pune post the Assembly elections. He went on to call Mr. More one of the original Shiv Sainiks who did not lose his way but gathered experiences from other parties. Mr. Uddhav further said that the coming elections “will be a battle of Maharashtra’s pride” and that Pune would be the centre of change in the state.
Mr. More started his political career with Shiv Sena at age 16 when the late Babasaheb Thakerey was in charge. When Mr. Raj Thackeray formed the Maharashtra Navirnman Sena (MNS), Mr. More followed. Mr. More was the former city MNS chief and an active party member since its inception in 2006. In 2022, friction began when MNS chief Raj Thackeray dismissed Mr. More from the position of city President after he objected to Mr. Thackeray’s confrontational speech demanding the removal of loudspeakers from mosques and rejected his instructions to play Hanuman Chalisa during Azaan. Mr. More still holds a strong following from the Muslim population in the city.
Earlier this year, Mr. More exited MNS and joined the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi. He contested the Lok Sabha polls from Pune as a candidate from VBA against Mr. Murlidhar Mohol from BJP and Mr. Ravindra Dhangekar from Congress. After securing only close to 32,000 votes, Mr. More lost the polls.
Vasant More could serve as an important face for Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena in Pune. Having contested from the Hadapsar Assembly constituency in the past from MNS, Mr. More may try his luck from the Sena this time. While addressing the press post his Induction, Mr. More assured the party chief Uddhav Thackeray that they would win over 25 seats in the city municipal corporation elections.