Karale Master expelled by Sharad Pawar-led NCP for six years a day before Nagpur graduates' poll

A day before voting in the Nagpur Graduates' constituency election, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has expelled its rebel candidate Nitesh Karale, popularly known as Karale Master, from the party for six years.

The party has accused him of contesting against Abhijit Wanjari, the official candidate of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. It also accused him of creating the impression that he had Sharad Pawar's support. The action was taken on these grounds.

Speaking after the action, Karale became emotional and was in tears. He said he had worked for the party for many years, held agitations and fought over students' issues, yet the party had shown him no regard.

Karale said many cases had been registered against him earlier for his work for democracy and agitations. During the farmers' agitation, 20 cases were registered and he went to jail. He was inside for six to seven days, but no leader called. His young son kept asking where his father was. Karale regretted that if not him, someone could at least have asked after his wife.

He said, "I did so much work for the Nationalist party, addressed many meetings for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and worked for the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Many false cases were registered against me. When I was in jail, not a single senior leader called my wife. I consider my expulsion from the party my reward. But all the leaders and the party together finished me off. Where else can I express my feelings?"

Karale also said that this, too, was a reward he had received from the government. He warned that he would answer the party's action cleanly and would expose those who had finished him off.

Claiming victory, Karale said he would win this election by a big margin. According to him, the public had given him great support, so the contest would be one-sided and the win would be his.

Meanwhile, voting is under way today for the teachers' and graduates' seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. The reputations of 182 candidates are at stake across five seats.