(NDTV)
Devendra Fadnavis has resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister a day before he was to face a floor test ordered by the Supreme Court. His announcement followed that of Ajit Pawar, who quit as his deputy.
“Ajit Pawar gave me his resignation. BJP had decided from the first day we will not indulge in horse trading. We only decided to form government because NCP was with us. Since he has resigned, I will also resign,” Mr Fadnavis told reporters.
“The BJP had the people’s mandate. We tried to form a government according to the people’s mandate but the Shiv Sena realized it was a numbers game and we realized their bargaining power could increase,” he added. The resignation came after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the two top leaders of the BJP, right after the Supreme Court ordered Mr Fadnavis to face a trust vote.