NEW DELHI, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of India's southwestern state of Maharashtra, announced his resignation on Tuesday, four days after he was sworn-in for a second consecutive term.
Addressing a press conference in state capital Mumbai, Fadnavis said that he decided to tender his resignation as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not have the numbers for government formation in the state.
Fadnavis told media people that his party had decided to form the government after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar extended the support of his party's 54 newly-elected legislators. Ajit Pawar was sworn-in as deputy chief minister of the state in a hush-hush ceremony held in Mumbai on Saturday morning.
Pawar's move was ostensibly not in the knowledge of NCP chief and his paternal uncle Sharad Pawar.
However, the situation turned around within a couple of days, even as almost all the NCP legislators decided to remain with Sharad Pawar.
Earlier in the day, following the Supreme Court of India's order directing "Floor Test" in the Maharashtra Assembly shall be carried out by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Ajit Pawar had tendered his resignation as Deputy Chief Minister.
Only two days ago, Ajit Pawar was removed from the post of legislature party leader by the NCP chief.
A short while ago, Ajit Pawar announced his decision to remain in the NCP fold.
