Pune, Nov. 28 -- Senior Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Ram Khade, was brutally attacked on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday near Mandli village on the Ahmednagar-Beed border by a group of 10-15 unidentified assailants, police said. Khade, a long-time NCP office-bearer, was travelling from Mandli towards Beed when the group intercepted his vehicle. They first vandalised the car, smashing its side mirrors and pelting stones, before launching a violent assault with sharp weapons. The incident occurred less than a week before the first round of local body polls in Maharashtra. Police said Khade sustained multiple serious injuries, including deep cuts on his arms. At least three of his associates were also wounded. One attacker is believed to have dropped a "sattur" knife while fleeing from the site. Khade was initially admitted to a private hospital in Ahilyanagar, where his condition was reported to be critical. He was later shifted to a Pune hospital for advanced treatment. Local police have registered a case and launched a probe. A senior officer said, "We are examining CCTV footage, looking for eyewitnesses and analysing forensic evidence. As of now, no arrests have been made." The NCP (SP) has condemned the attack and demanded swift action. Deepak Khile, party worker, alleged the attack was retaliation for Khade's efforts to expose corruption, claiming the violence was linked to his activism. Earlier on Wednesday, Sachin Gujar, Ahilyanagar district president of Congress, was allegedly kidnapped and assaulted early morning while he was out on a routine morning walk near Shrirampur town. A local man, Chadu Age, who claims to be a follower of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, later released a video on social media admitting to beating Gujar, saying he did so after the leader allegedly used derogatory language while referring to Shivaji Maharaj....