NCP (SP) MLA Bapusaheb Pathare Assaulted During Event In Pune's Lohegaon

NCP (SP) MLA Bapusaheb Pathare from Vadgaon Sheri constituency was physically assaulted during an event held in Pune’s Lohegaon on Saturday. Following this, there was a tense environment in the Lohegaon area. 

Reportedly, on Saturday evening, when Pathare was attending a program organised in the Lohegaon area, there was a verbal spat between him and Ajit Pawar’s NCP party members. The argument escalated and turned around to be a fight between the two groups, during which Pathare was beaten up and suffered some minor injuries.

Following the incident, the local police rushed to the spot and pacified the argument. While hundreds of Pathare’s supporters gathered at the spot and tensions rose in the locality. Though the actual reason behind the argument and consequent fight is still not clear and the police are investigating the matter.  

The incident has been condemned by MLA Rohit Pawar. “Strong condemnation of the incident of assault on Bapusaheb Pathare, the MLA of Vadgaon Sheri Assembly Constituency in Pune! If an elected representative is being manhandled, what about the common man? This incident raises such a question. The police should take serious note of this incident and take strict action against the culprits,” he mentioned on his X handle.

Pathare was in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier and won the assembly seat from 2009 to 2014. Later, he entered the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and contested the 2014 elections but was defeated by the BJP's Jagdish Mulik. 

Recently, following the NCP split, Pathare joined NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and won the 2024 assembly election from Vadgaon Sheri constituency while defeating NCP’s Sunil Tingre.