Sonia Gandhi excuses herself from Uddhav's swearing-in

Congress party interim president Sonia Gandhi has stated that the country is facing "unprecedented threat from BJP," in a letter addressed to Uddhav Thackeray expressing her inability to attend the swearing in ceremony held on Thursday. She however expressed her wishes and hopes that the state gets a "cohesive" administration through the collective effort the three parties- Sena-NCP-Congress.


Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the Maharashtra chief minister at 6:40 pm on Thursday at a grand ceremony at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray had met Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi on Wednesday to extend the invitation for father Uddhav Thackeray's oath-taking ceremony.

"I regret that I'll not be able to be present at the ceremony [oath-taking]" Sonia Gandhi wrote in the letter.

The Congress chief further said that the "political atmosphere has become poisonous, the economy has collapsed and farmers are facing great distress".

"The Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress have agreed to a common programme and I am confident that all three parties will strike their utmost to implement that programme in letter and spirit," Sonia Gandhi wrote.

She further said the collective efforts of the alliance would be to fulfil the expectations of the people of Maharashtra. "The people of Maharashtra expect the alliance to provide cohesive, purposeful, responsible, responsive and transparent administration and our collective effort will undoubtedly be to ensure that these expectations are fulfilled," the Congress interim chief said in the letter.