Congress Not Wiser, Loses Another Senior Leader In Maharashtra To BJP

Top Congress leader Sangram Thopate’s decision to join the BJP has dealt a severe blow to the party not just in Pune district but in the state as well. Elected on behalf of the Congress ticket thrice, Thopate lost the recent assembly election. Thopate’s father Anantrao was a staunch Congress worker who had always opposed the domination of his foe Sharad Pawar, who was in the Congress till 1999. Pawar’s efforts to pose a challenge to senior Thopate in Bhor assembly constituency in the district had not been successful. After Anantrao’s demise, Sangram donned the mantle and experienced similar difficulties. So much so that he was never made a minister in Maharashtra. His humiliation was unbearable when his claim to become state assembly speaker was ignored by the high command after then incumbent Nana Patole resigned the post suddenly. Owing to Pawar’s strategy, the Congress party has not been able to influence Pune district’s politics. Still, a handful leaders like Thopate have tried their best to stall Pawar’s monopoly but the Congress party has never acknowledged their single-handed battle. Only recently, former Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar in Pune had joined the Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Even then, the Congress party had remained silent. Exasperated by such treatment, Thopate has announced his decision to join the BJP, rendering the Congress still weaker in the district which was once upon a time its stronghold.