Pune: Vasant More has traversed a complex political path through Shiv Sena, MNS, and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, ultimately returning to Uddhav Thackeray's faction.
Despite his aspirations to contest the Lok Sabha elections under MNS, More only managed to secure 32,000 votes when he ran with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, leading him to rejoin the Thackeray camp post-election.
Currently, the Mahayuti alliance is overcrowded with leaders, while the Mahavikas Aghadi suffers from a leadership vacuum. In this scenario, More has joined Shiv Sena, but his chances of securing a ticket for the Assembly elections appear slim due to past election defeats.
More may be entrusted with responsibilities within the municipal corporation, where he has substantial experience. Uddhav Thackeray hinted at such possibilities during More's induction.
In 2019, More contested the Assembly elections from Hadapsar under MNS and finished third, securing 34,809 votes. This seat was won by NCP's Chetan Tupe, who later aligned with Ajit Pawar.
Given the current political landscape, it is anticipated that Sharad Pawar's faction of the NCP will retain this seat within the Mahavikas Aghadi, as Prashant Jagtap, the Pune city president of the Sharad Pawar faction, has significant influence in Hadapsar.
More also has a stronghold in the Khadakwasla Assembly constituency. However, Sharad Pawar is expected to field a strong candidate like Sachin Dodke, who narrowly lost by 2,500 votes in 2019.
Additionally, the constituency showed robust support for Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha elections, further solidifying Pawar's claim on the seat.
With limited prospects in the Assembly elections, More's focus may shift to Pune's municipal corporation. Over the past two decades, Shiv Sena's presence in the municipal corporation has dwindled from 25 seats in 2007 to just 10 in 2016.
More could serve as a prominent face for Thackeray's Sena in Pune, provided he undertakes effective party-building efforts and revitalizes the organization.
More's primary voter base includes Dalits and Muslims, who have distanced themselves, as evidenced by his Lok Sabha election performance. Reconnecting with this voter base will be a significant challenge for More.
Additionally, he will face competition from the BJP in urban areas and contend with Sharad Pawar's aggressive political strategies within the Mahavikas Aghadi.
More attributed his exits from MNS and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi to internal politics. Similar challenges might arise in Thackeray's Sena, where Sanjay More and Gajanan Tharkude currently hold leadership positions.
Appointing Vasant More to a leadership role could lead to discontent among existing leaders who remained loyal during party splits. Therefore, how Thackeray plans to leverage More's skills and influence remains to be seen.
