Mumbai: Following the Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday that the four-day old Maharashtra cabinet should seek confidence vote on Wednesday, and sensing sure defeat on the floor, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis declared his resignation.
His deputy chief minister and former NCP leader Anit Pawar had declared even earlier that he was resigning and handed his letter of resignation to the chief minister.
Fadnavis met the presspersons at 3.30 pm and declared his decision to resign. Reports indicate that Fadnavis was asked by the BJP national leadership to take the decision. Fadnavis admitted that with the withdrawal of support by Ajit Pawar, the coalition would not be able to prove its majority on the floor.
Fadnavis told journalists that Ajit Pawar at first decided to help them, and after talking to him, his coalition formed a government. Following the Supreme Court verdict, Pawar met him and handed n his resigntion; since without his support the government would not win the majority in the house, he was going to meet the governor and submit his resignation.