Was not invited for Fadnavis swearing-in, good wishes to my friend: Patole

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday claimed he was not invited for the oath-taking ceremony of new chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, but said he expects his "friend" to work for the overall development of the state.

Patole listed his own expectations from the BJP-led government and these included announcement of a loan waiver for farmers.

Chief minister Fadnavis and his two deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath on 5 December, Thursday at a grand ceremony in Mumbai, ushering in the Mahayuti 2.0 government.

Patole, speaking to reporters in Nagpur, maintained that he did not receive any invitation to the oath ceremony, otherwise he would have attended the event. "However, my friend has become the chief minister and good wishes to him," he said.

Both Patole, a former BJP MP, and Fadnavis hail from the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra.

Notably, no major leader from the state's Opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and Patole, were present at the swearing-in ceremony at Azad Maidan.

Patole said he expects the new government to tame inflation, resolve issues faced by farmers and youths and fulfil promises made to soybean and cotton farmers.

The Congress leader said he hopes under the leadership of Fadnavis, Maharashtra progresses at fast pace in the next five years.

Patole asked the chief minister to stand firm on his assurance of not allowing contract-based recruitments in government and fill nearly 2 lakh vacant posts in different departments. He also demanded more Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses for rural areas of the state.

Patole said the Fadnavis government should improve the law and order situation in Maharashtra and make it a drugs-free state.