Present at successor Uddhav's swearing-in, ex-CM Fadnavis pokes state-sized hole in CMP

In his first tweet since after he congratulated Shiv Sena chief and new Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Devendra Fadnavis slammed the Common Minimum Programme binding the Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. The former-CM raised the absence of Maharashtra's three large sub-regions of Marathwada, Vidarbha and northern Maharashtra from the alliance's agenda in the CMP. Nagpur, Maharashtra's second capital and heart of Vidarbha, is Fadnavis's native town and his seat in the Assembly.

Taking to Twitter, Fadnavis wrote:

"In the Common Minimum Programme of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, there are extravagant promises but not even a single mention of Marathwada, Vidarbha and northern Maharashtra. These regions need development the most. It's a sad situation that they don't get even a single mention. I hope the new government pays attention to this."

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Distant, less developed

Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra are economically backward compared to much richer Mumbai region, Konkan and Pune subdivisions on the state. The regions are mostly dependent on agrarian incomes with lower levels of industrialisation compared to the other regions. Vidarbha has often raised a demand for separate statehood with many people there suggesting a feeling of neglect from the finance and power centre of Mumbai, hundreds of miles away. Many BJP leaders including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, also a native of the region, have supported the argument.

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Uddhav's grand oath-taking ceremony

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the 18th Chief Minister of Maharashtra at Shivaji Park on Thursday in front of thousands of people. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered him the oath of office and secrecy. Along with him, Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal of the NCP and Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut of Congress took oath as Ministers. Prominent leaders such as MNS chief Raj Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath, DMK chief MK Stalin were present on the occasion. Uddhav Thackeray was chosen as the leader of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance comprising Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress on Tuesday. Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also graced the ceremony.

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