The BJP has failed to make inroads in the Bhor assembly constituency till date as the Thopte family managed to hold their fort, despite the Modi wave from the past 11 years
Former Congress MLA from Bhor Sangram Thopte’s announcement of him joining the BJP has shuffled many feathers in the political corridors of Maharashtra. However, what remains to be seen how Thopte’s decision will change the politics in Pune district that has long been dominated by the Pawar family.
Thopte’s desire to carry forward family legacy in politics
Thopte has been elected three times as an MLA from Bhor assembly constituency in 2009, 2014 and 2019, which his father and former state minister Anantrao Thopte represented six times in the past. The Thopte family was considered to be loyal to the Congress. However, Sangram Thopte losing the election to Shankar Mandekar of Ajit Pawar’s NCP was seen as a major setback to the Thopte family in their bastion. Gain for BJP as Congress loses its leader
The BJP has failed to make inroads in the Bhor assembly constituency till date as the Thopte family managed to hold their fort, despite the Modi wave from the past 11 years. The Congress, which maintained its stronghold over Pune district, slowly lost its control in the city but its presence was retained by Thopte in the rural parts of the district. As Thopte left the Congress, he dented hopes for the Grand Old Party in Pune district. “Thopte joining the BJP will boost the party prospects in the rural parts of Pune district, where the influence of the NCP and the Congress is still quite strong,” said a BJP leader.
The decision of Thopte to quit the Congress and join the BJP will have repercussions in the future Lok Sabha elections of Baramati. The Bhor assembly constituency–a stronghold of the Thopte family–is a part of the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency represented by NCP (SP) executive president and MP Supriya Sule. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sule faced a tough competition from her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, who had got the highest lead of 47,000 votes from Bhor assembly constituency out of the six assembly segments that fall in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. Sangram Thopte played a major role in getting votes for Sule.
Thopte likely to pose challenge to NCP
Sangram Thopte, who contested as a Congress candidate in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, lost to NCP leader Shankar Mandekar by a margin of 20,000 votes. The setback came as a shock as Sule—contesting as an MVA candidate—had bagged the highest votes from Bhor assembly during the Lok Sabha elections.
In contrast, Thopte lost the assembly election to Mandekar, who contested on an NCP ticket, which is in alliance with the BJP and the Shiv Sena as part of the Mahayuti coalition. The NCP, which currently has a sitting legislator, will stake claim over the elections to be fought in alliance in future and Thope will be a challenge to the NCP. “Thopte is a leader with a strong political background. The BJP will use him to end the dominance of both NCP and its leaders in Pune district,” said Congress leader Ramesh Iyer.
Second round of Pawar vs Thopte tussle
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The political rivalry between NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Congress veteran Anantrao Thopte is well known. Pawar had outpowered Thopte while he was in the Congress and even after he broke ranks to form the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to retain political supremacy in Pune district.
Anantrao Thopte was also seen as a probable CM candidate if the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the Maharashtra assembly elections but unfortunately, that didn’t materialise as he faced defeat from Sharad Pawar-led NCP candidate Kashinath Khutwad in 1999 and paved the way for Vilasrao Deshmukh to be the Chief Minister.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sharad Pawar had settled the political differences with the Thopte family. Now, the situation has changed once again as the tussle will be between Ajit Pawar and Sangram Thopte for establishing their supremacy in Bhor assembly segment. Thopte can be a potential threat to Ajit Pawar in district politics.
Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability.
Professional Background
Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens.
Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College.
Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts.
Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom:
1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026)
"Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections.
"Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections.
"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls.
2. Infrastructure & Urban Development
"Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026.
"Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi.
"Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors.
3. Civic Governance & Environment
"Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time.
"Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections.
Signature Style
Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact.
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