Mumbai, Jul 9 (IANS): After hopping three parties in barely five months, Pune Lok Sabha election loser Vasant K More on Tuesday made a ‘ghar-wapasi (homecoming)’ to the Shiv Sena (UBT) with a resolve to build up the party in his hometown.

More, 51, was accorded a warm welcome by ex-Chief Minister and SS(UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, MP Sanjay Raut and other leaders to the party he had quit many years ago.

Tying the symbolic ‘Shiv Bandhan’ thread on More’s wrist and handing him a party flag, Thackeray said that he would be given a major responsibility to build up the SS(UBT) into a potent political force in Pune.

“He has gone around several parties and acquired experience of whether he got respect or not. Before the LS polls, we were all watching what More would do. It would be his personal choice. Now, we welcome him and all his supporters to the SS(UBT) and expect that he will make the party strong in Pune,” said Thackeray.

The ex-CM said that the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections shall be a battle for Maharashtra’s dignity and the peoples’ self-respect and the contribution of all, including More would be important, “so go ahead and build up the party in Pune.”

Raut said that More was an ex-Shiv Sainik and would now strengthen the party in Pune and surroundings before the October Assembly elections.

Replying to the felicitations, More recalled how he had joined the (undivided) Shiv Sena when he was barely 16 and after completing his HSC, he became a young ‘Shakha Pramukh (Unit Chief)’ in the party.

“I am not joining the party. It’s a homecoming for me. I started my life with the party and then grew with it. I am happy to come back, along with 17 Shakha Pramukhs, several ex-corporators and my workers. We shall all work hard to make the party strong in Pune,” declared More.

After quitting the original Shiv Sena in 2006, More had joined the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray, the estranged cousin of Uddhav Thackeray.

He served in various positions in the MNS, was elected thrice as Pune Municipal Corporator and later its city chief and served as Leader of Opposition in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

Just before the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, More demanded a ticket to contest the polls, but the MNS refused to field him, forcing him to quit in March.

He joined the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) of Prakash Ambedkar and was given a Lok Sabha ticket, but trailed at a poor third behind the BJP winner Murlidhar Mohol and the Congress’ Ravindra Dhangekar.

Apparently disillusioned, More decided to return to his original roots in the SS(UBT), making it the third party shift in barely five months.