Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vasant More has made it clear that his son, Rupesh More, will be contesting the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the senior More wrote in Marathi, "When I first became a corporator in 2007, you were in first grade. Since then, for 15 continuous years, the gulal of victory from each of my municipal corporation elections was smeared on you. But this time, in your election, that same gulal will definitely be put on me. That’s the will of Katraj’s gramdaivat Shri Kalbhairavnath."
Before joining Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls in 2024, Vasant More contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a candidate of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) from Pune. Before that, he was the city chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). He parted ways with the Raj Thackeray-led party after the leadership reportedly sidelined him due to what he said was local leaders misleading the party high command about him.
He was once a confidant of the MNS chief and was part of the party from the time of its inception by Raj Thackeray, who had just left the Sena.
A three-time corporator, More had unsuccessfully contested Assembly elections from the Hadapsar seat in the past on an MNS ticket. After the MNS showed little sign of fielding him for the Lok Sabha elections, More decided to quit the party and got in touch with NCP (SP), Congress and Sena (UBT), expressing a wish to contest the Pune Lok Sabha seat. He eventually contested as a VBA candidate and bagged just over 32,000 votes.
He then met Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and expressed his desire to join the party. “I am originally from Sena and am returning back to the party. There is nothing more I can say about the decision,” More said.
