At least 20 people, suspected to be supporters of Congress legislator Sangram Thopte, barged inside the Congress Bhavan in Pune on Tuesday and ransacked the office, while raising slogans in support of their leader. They were reportedly upset over Thopte being left out of the state cabinet. Thopte, who has been elected from Bhor assembly seat in Pune district, was expecting a ministerial berth in the new state government. He was the only Congress leader to win a seat from Pune district in the 2014 Assembly elections. He retained the seat in the 2019 elections, when another Congress leader, Sanjay Jagtap, also won from Pune district. On Tuesday evening, supporters of Thopte entered the Congress Bhavan premises and raised slogans in support of their leader. They allegedly pelted the building with stones, broke glass windows and ransacked the office, said police. A team of Pune City Police arrived at the location and detained a few of the supporters. City Congress chief Ramesh Bagawe and spokesperson Ramesh Iyer, along with other party leaders, visited the building to assess the damage. A police official said that if they are approached with a complaint, an FIR will be registered.
