MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan resigned today, a day after NCP broke its 15-year-old alliance with Congress in the state, reducing his government to a minority.
68-year-old Chavan drove to Raj Bhavan this evening and submitted the resignation of his government to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, official sources said.
It was not immediately known if he has been asked to continue in a caretaker capacity or the state will be brought under a brief spell of President’s rule before the Assembly elections next month.
Chavan had called on the Governor earlier in the day too and apprised him of the political developments.
The NCP yesterday called off its alliance with Congress accusing Chavan of neglecting it and stalling talks over seat-sharing.
NCP’s insistence on the two allies contesting an equal number of the state’s 288 Assembly seats and the demand for rotational chief minister were the sticking points during the seat-sharing talks which eventually led to the collapse of the alliance.
Meanwhile, the Raj Bhavan sources said, “The governor is seeking legal opinion (on the future course of action).”
Last night, soon after announcing the breaking up of NCP’s alliance with the Congress, NCP leader Ajit Pawar met the governor and informed him that the NCP had withdrawn its support to the government.
Chavan is scheduled to file his nomination from the Karad assembly constituency in western Maharashtra tomorrow.
He was brought in as Maharashtra Chief Minister in November 2010 after the Adarsh housing scam led to resignation of his predecessor Ashok Chavan. . When Chavan took over as the chief minister, NCP had an upper hand in the political equation in the ruling coalition.
Immediately after taking charge, Chavan left no stone unturned to target NCP leaders, including his deputy Ajit Pawar.
The campaign to show that NCP harbored corruption succeeded after scams were “unearthed” in which NCP leaders were allegedly involved, as in the case of irrigation scam.
Reacting to Chavan’s resignation, Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Eknath Khadse (BJP) said he had no other option.
“After NCP withdrew support to the government last night, it was impossible for Chavan to continue as CM since Congress could not have managed the 145-number mark needed for a majority in the 288-member House,” Khadse said.
Earlier today, Khadse had met the Governor and demanded imposition of President’s rule in Maharashtra. -PTI
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