Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, firebrand leader Vasant More has quit the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) accusing the party’s local leadership of deliberately forcing his exit. However, More is yet to reveal his future plans in politics.
The 48-year-old leader has been the city chief of the MNS besides leading the party in the general body of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). More, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Assembly elections from Hadapsar, had sought to be the MNS candidate for the Pune Lok Sabha seat this time.
“I will not contest any election on an MNS ticket. I have resigned from the party. I had been working with Raj Thackeray for the last 24 years and had been with the MNS from its start,” More said, adding that he always strived to strengthen the party but local leaders were working against him and giving wrong information about him to the leadership. He had expressed his displeasure over the local party leadership and conveyed it to MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
Earlier too there were speculations that Vasant More was set to quit the MNS as he decided not to support its campaign against loudspeakers in mosques. At the time, he had stated that he maintained cordial relations with the Muslim community in his area who cooperated with him on all requests, and added that he did not need to protest if the community was cooperating with the demands of the MNS.
Incidentally, More met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar in the city on February 27 but claimed that the meeting was related to the demand to retain the reservation of the playground space in Katraj.
Last year, another firebrand leader Rupali Patil Thombare had quit the MNS to join the NCP. When the party split, she joined the Ajit Pawar-led group.
