Who is Rahul Bondre, the leader Rahul Gandhi didn’t want to lose to BJP

Who is Rahul Bondre, the leader Rahul Gandhi didn't want to lose to BJP The Leader of Opposition's decision to intervene to stop the two-term MLA from switching parties has surprised plenty of in the Congress.

Key points

• 4 min read Mumbai Sep 23, 2026 05: 32 AM IST First published on: Sep 22, 2026 at 09: 41 PM IST.
• He was set to join the BJP on Tuesday in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
• Bondre is a two-term Congress MLA from Chikhli in western Vidarbha's Buldhana district.
• As MLA Shweta Mahale's husband Vidyadhar Mahale is a senior official in the CM's office, bondre's fight with the BJP inevitably involved Fadnavis.
• The night before Bondre's planned entry into the BJP, Sapkal requested Rahul Gandhi to have a word with him.

Rahul Gandhi (right), it is learnt, assured Rahul Bondre that the party not only stood with him, but would extend every feasible assist to counter the BJP's "intimidating tactics". (Photo: X/@rahul_bondre, File/Enhanced using AI). Written by: Alok Deshpande.

He was set to join the BJP on Tuesday in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Then Rahul Gandhi intervened.

Former Congress MLA Rahul Bondre turned visibly emotional after Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal connected him to the Leader of Opposition (LoP), telling him: "Now that you have called, I will stand with you in this fight, no matter how much I will have to lose, " Bondre informed Gandhi on the phone. Afterwards, he posted on social media, "Ready to sacrifice everything in this fight standing with Rahul Gandhi."

He was ready to join BJP, with Fadnavis in attendance. Then Rahul Gandhi called.

Bondre is a two-term Congress MLA from Chikhli in western Vidarbha's Buldhana district. He won the seat in 2009 and 2014, but lost to BJP's Shweta Mahale in 2019 (by 6, 810 votes) and 2024 (3201 votes). One of the prominent and last remaining Lingayat faces of Maharashtra Congress, Bondre comes from a political family that has been loyal to the Congress for generations.

As MLA Shweta Mahale's husband Vidyadhar Mahale is a senior official in the CM's office, bondre's fight with the BJP inevitably involved Fadnavis. Both Bondre and Mahale were involved in a war of words during the lately held local body polls. The Congress leader had complained against Mahale for participating in the BJP's poll campaign despite being a administration official.

Bondre is associated with a number of credit societies, educational institutions, and cotton mill. As sources indicate, Bondre has been facing continuous inquiries, notices over his business interests for a number of years now. Even in his video a day before, Bondre had refrained from attacking the Congress leadership and instead maintained that he has no complaints against anyone.

Rahul Gandhi resonates in Pune yet again, this time in a BJP session.

Meanwhile, the move of inducting Bondre in the BJP was additionally seen as an attempt to destabilise Sapkal who has been aggressively attacking the Mahayuti administration in general and CM Fadnavis in particular.

"If a leader from his home district is leaving the Congress, fingers will be pointed at Sapkal. He will come under criticism for not being able to control his own district, " remarked a Congress leader privy to the developments within the party.

Bondre and Sapkal both come from Buldhana district and have maintained a cordial relationship for a number of years now. It was Bondre first who had congratulated Sapkal when he became the state Congress chief. For months, Sapkal was constantly supporting Bondre against the pressure tactics applied on him.

Notably, the night before Bondre's planned entry into the BJP, Sapkal requested Rahul Gandhi to have a word with him. In last a number of years, numerous major Congress leaders – including former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan – have left the party. While some boasted concerning their family lineage, in some cases, the leaders had asserted proximity to the Gandhis. In none of the instances, did Gandhi try to stop those leaders. But in this case he did it as requested by Sapkal.

For context, the Maharashtra Congress chief has been Gandhi's pick for the job. Be it the party's organisational overhaul or keeping the Congress alive with protests, Sapkal has been steering the party in a demanding and tough time. If Gandhi calling Bondre, a district level leader, to ask him to not quit the party has surprised plenty of within Congress, the move has raised Sapkal's stature within the organisation further, sources stated.

Taken together, the developments around who is Rahul Bondre, the leader Rahul Gandhi didn't want to lose point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.