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

On Monday night, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi called former Congress MLA Rahul Bondre, who represented the Chikhli Assembly seat in Buldhana district of western Vidarbha. The call was made through Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal. Gandhi reportedly urged Bondre not to switch parties, as he was set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the following day in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Bondre, a veteran Congressman, had represented the Chikhli constituency for two terms and would be succeeded by BJP MLA Shweta Mahale, who praised Bondre's decision to join the BJP, stating that he had adopted the party's Hindutva ideology. Earlier in the day, Shweta Mahale had welcomed Bondre's decision to join the BJP, saying that he had embraced the party's Hindutva ideology.

In a phone conversation, Gandhi assured Bondre that the party not only stood with him but would extend every possible help to counter the BJP's intimidating tactics. Bondre, visibly emotional, told Gandhi, "To win, you must lose sometimes." After the call, Bondre posted on his social media that he would not be joining the BJP, emphasizing his decision to stand with Rahul Gandhi in the fight.