Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday sent a defamation notice to former state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre for his allegation that the government was favouring private sector lender Axis Bank, where Fadnavis's wife works.

Fadnavis sent the notice through advocate Ganesh Sovani for "baseless allegation regarding Axis Bank-SRA issue", an official in the Chief Minister's Office said this evening.