Will sit in opposition: NCP's Praful Patel

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel said that his party will sit in opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and will not play any role in the formation of the government in the state.

"I want to make it clear that we will be in opposition and play the role of strong opposition. We don't want to have any role in the formation of the government... BJP-Shiv Sena have got the mandate, so best wishes to them," Patel told ANI here.

Talking about recently concluded state Assembly elections, Patel said, "This is people's mandate, we accept it. Apart from a few, the people have shown the position to most of the people who left NCP and Congress.... In 60 Assembly seats combining Mumbai and Thana, around 50 of them have gone to BJP and Shiv Sena. if you see the thinking of the people of Maharashtra in the elections, then it can be seen that people have voted against the government."

Asked about the allegations of misuse of central agencies during the polls, Patel said, "I can only say that the Truth will prevail and it will come in front of the people."

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls with the former emerging as the single largest party in the state with 105 seats. Shiv Sena, on the other hand, bagged 56 seats in the elections.

The NCP also increased its numbers as compared to the 2014 elections with 54 seats while the Congress slipped to the fourth position winning 44 seats.