Expelled NCP leader back in party

MUMBAI: In a bold political move, NCP president Sharad Pawar not only reinducted controversial Maratha leader Vinayak Mete into the party, but also reappointed him as vice-president, the post he was holding before his expulsion from the organisation a year ago. Mete was expelled from the party after a section of his activists ransacked the house of senior journalist Kumar Ketkar for his article on the great Maratha emperor Shivaji Maharaj.
"For obvious political reasons, particularly in view of the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls, Mete has been reinducted into the party,'' a senior NCP leader told TOI on Tuesday.
Soon after Mete was expelled from the NCP, he launched a statewide agitation for political reservations for the Maratha community. Pawar had taken the view that there was no need for such political reservations since Marathas are adequately representated. Senior NCP leader and deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal and BJP leader Gopinath Munde had strongly opposed Mete's proposal. In fact, the duo had convened a special meeting of like-minded politicians to oppose the proposal.
According to reports, Mete was reinducted into the party in view of his growing clout in Maratha circles.
Marathas are a minority in the Vidarbha region, where the first phase of polls wre held. But in the second phase of polling scheduled for April 23, in almost all constituencies the majority of voters are Marathas. So Mete's expulsion was revoked before the polls.
"The party will be able to swing the Maratha votes in our favour following the reinduction of Vinayak Mete,'' said the NCP leader.
prafulla.marpakwar@timesgroup.com