In yet another unexpected turn of events in Maharashtra politics, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis resigned in less than an hour after Deputy CM Ajit Pawar quit from the four-day-old government.
"We do not have the majority without the support from NCP MLAs," said Fadnavis adding, "I will go to the Governor and hand over my resignation."
BJP will now be an "effective opposition", the former CM and BJP leader said.
"Since there was President's Rule in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, as a leader of NCP legislative party, offered to support us top form the government," he said, adding that BJP did not indulge in horse-trading of MLAs.
The resignations come a day before the floor test that would have tested the BJP's majority in Maharashtra Assembly.
Ajit's resignation was preceded by his hour-long meeting with Fadnavis.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah and the party's working president J P Nadda after the Supreme Court ordered a floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday.
Earlier, a BJP leader said Fadnavis will hold a meeting with all newly-elected BJP MLAs at 9 PM today. However, there is no word whether the meeting stands cancelled or not.
Ajit had left everyone surprised in NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress after he along with 35 other NCP MLAs backed the BJP to form government in early hours on Saturday.
Sharad Pawar-led NCP had sacked Ajit as NCP Legislative party leader but party leaders said they were in talks with him to convince him to come back to the party's fold.
