Former Congress MLA Sangram Thopte joins BJP with supporters in Pune

Former Congress MLA Sangram Thopte on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with his supporters from Bhor taluka in Pune district.

Maharashtra BJP chief and state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and the party's working president Ravindra Chavan welcomed Thopte into the fold.

Thopte, who had represented the Bhor constituency in Pune district three times, was defeated by NCP candidate Shankar Mandekar in the 2024 assembly polls.

His family is rooted in Congress tradition. Thopte is the son of party veteran Anantrao Thopte, who had represented Bhor six times and was an archrival of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar.

Thopte resigned from the party last week.

Speaking on the occasion, Thopte said, "I was a hardcore Congressman. I worked for the party and the Maha Vikas Aghadi. But my work and loyalty weren't recognised. My father and I struggled for the party to ensure the Congress ideology reaches the grassroots."  He said he had been a Congress loyalist, but the party forced him to quit.

He said the BJP is the largest party in the country and works under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and hence, he has decided to join the fold.

"I have known Fadnavis for several years, but I have never used that connection for politics," Thopte said.