Sonia, Rahul Gandhi Skip Uddhav’s Swearing-In, Send Letters Expressing Regret

Sonia Gandhi on Thursday penned a letter to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray where she expressed her regret for not being able to attend oath-taking ceremony. "Shiv Sena,NCP and Congress have come together under quite extraordinary circumstances, at a time when country faces unprecedented threats from the Bharatiya Janata Party. I regret that I'll not be able to be present at the ceremony (oath-taking)," she wrote.

Sonia Gandhi in a letter to Uddhav Thackeray: Shiv Sena,NCP&Congress have come together under quite extraordinary circumstances, at a time when country faces unprecedented threats from BJP. I regret that I'll not be able to be present at the ceremony (oath-taking). #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/wHs95Y7mV6

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2019

On Wednesday, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray separately met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh and invited them for his father Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in as the Maharashtra chief minister on Thursday.

Aaditya Thackeray had a brief meeting with Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence. The Congress party tweeted a photo of the two leaders from its official Twitter handle. Aaditya Thackeray invited Gandhi for Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in, which will take place at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai at 6.40 pm on Thursday.

Aaditya is the second Thackeray to visit 10, Janpath. In July, his uncle and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray had met Gandhi at her residence to garner support for his demand to switch back to paper ballots while conducting elections.

From Gandhi's residence, Aaditya Thackeray reached Singh's residence and invited the former prime minister for the swearing-in ceremony of his father. Later, Aaditya Thackeray told reporters that he met the two senior Congress leaders and sought their blessings.

Senior Sena leader and Uddhav Thackeray's close confidant Milind Narvekar was also with Aaditya during his meeting with the two leaders. Sources said a decision was yet to be taken on whether the two leaders would attend the swearing-in ceremony in Mumbai.