Mumbai: In a significant setback for the Congress party in Maharashtra, former Bhor MLA Sangram Thopte joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, along with his supporters. The induction took place at the BJP’s state office in Mumbai in the presence of Maharashtra BJP president and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, party working president Ravindra Chavan.
Welcoming Thopte into the party, Bawankule called him a “Kohinoor diamond” for the BJP. He praised Thopte's extensive grassroots connect and political experience, stating that his inclusion would help strengthen the BJP’s presence in Pune district and spread its ideology at the grassroots level.
Sangram Thopte joins BJP, marking a significant shift in Maharashtra politics | File Photo
“Thopte has joined to support the vision of Vikasit Bharat and Vikasit Maharashtra under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” he said.
Working President Ravindra Chavan echoed this sentiment, saying Thopte's entry would boost the party organization. “He is a ground-level leader who works hard to resolve public issues. The party will stand firmly behind him, and the trust he has shown in BJP will not be broken,” Chavan assured.
Speaking at the event, Thopte said he joined the BJP not for any position but to accelerate the development of his constituency. “Only BJP, under Modi and Fadnavis’s leadership, can ensure real development. That’s why I’ve chosen this path,” he said.
He also reflected on his decision to leave Congress. “I was a hardcore Congressman and worked loyally for the party and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). But our efforts were never recognized. My father and I worked tirelessly to spread Congress ideology, yet we were ignored,” Thopte said, adding that Congress itself forced him into this situation.
Thopte, a three-time MLA from Bhor (2009, 2014, and 2019), lost to NCP’s Shankar Mandekar in the 2024 state elections. His defeat marked a major setback for the Thopte family, which has long held political influence in the region. His father, Anantrao Thopte, was a six-time MLA and a respected Congress leader.
