Former Maharashtra minister Rajesh Tope's car attacked in Jalna after cooperative bank election

The car of former Maharashtra minister Rajesh Tope after the election of president and vice-president of a cooperative bank in Jalna district of Maharashtra, officials said

Supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Babanrao Lonikar on Saturday reportedly attacked the car of former Maharashtra minister Rajesh Tope after the election of president and vice-president of a cooperative bank in Jalna district of Maharashtra, accusing the latter of betrayal, reported the PTI.

No one was hurt in the incident, the officials said.

Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Satish Tope, the cousin of Rajesh Tope, and BJP's Bhausaheb Jawale were elected unopposed as the president and vice-president of the District Central Cooperative Bank, respectively, as per the PTI.

Babanrao Lonikar's supporters hurled stones and a wooden log at Rajesh Tope's car on the bank premises. The Sadar Bazar police in Jalna rushed to the spot and controlled the situation, said inspector Prashant Mahajan, according to the PTI.

The MLA said that his supporters were upset as his group was sidelined and the post of the vice-president went to someone else. The MLA, who represents Partur constituency in the district, said that they were ready to pay for the damage, referring to Rajesh Tope's car, as per the PTI.

Speaking to the media, Rajesh Tope, who is with the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, said that it had been agreed that the NCP would keep the post of president while someone from the BJP would become the vice-president of the bank, the news agency reported on Saturday.

Rajesh Tope, who represents the Ghansawangi seat in Jalna district of Maharashtra, said that he had no role in BJP's nomination and demanded a probe into the violence.

Babanrao Lonikar said that Rajesh Tope betrayed their trust as the vice-president's post was to go to someone from BJP in Partur or Mantha tehsil. However, it went to Jawale, who is from a different area and is apparently associated with Union minister Raosaheb Danve.

A bank official, who requested anonymity, said that Babanrao Lonikar's supporters wanted the MLA's son Rahul Lonikar to occupy the post.

Later, Satish Tope's supporters pelted stones at Babanrao Lonikar's house following which the latter's men targeted the former's home similarly, a police official said.

(with PTI inputs)

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