Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray submitted his resignation on Wednesday night soon after the Supreme Court refused to stay the Governor's order for a floor test in the Assembly on Thursday. In an emotionally-charged Facebook address, Thackeray announced his resignation from the MLC post, too.
The floor test will be held at 11 am to decide the fate of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government which has been teetering ever since Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde declared an open revolt against the party on June 20.
"I had come (to power) in an unexpected manner and I am going out in a similar fashion. I am not going away forever, I will be here, and I will once again sit in Shiv Sena Bhawan. I will gather all my people," Thackeray said.
He thanked NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for their support. Both the NCP and the Congress are the other two constituents of the ruling alliance.
The Sena chief also mentioned the cabinet decisions taken earlier in the day and said he has fulfilled Balasaheb's dreams by renaming the Aurangabad city.
"I am satisfied that we have officially renamed Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad to Dharashiv - the cities named by Balasaheb Thackeray," he said.
Shinde, along with 39 rebel Sena MLAs and 10 Independents, was camping at a luxury hotel in Assam's Guwahati for the last one week even as the official faction led by Thackeray made every effort to placate them. Shinde said the MLAs will reach Mumbai on Thursday before the floor test.
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari ordered for a floor test in the Assembly after BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met him in the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday night and claimed that the Thackeray government had lost majority in the house. Fadnavis visited Raj Bhavan soon after returning from Delhi where he had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J.P. Nadda.
The BJP is expected to stake claim to form the government with the support of Shinde camp if the government failed to pass the floor test on Thursday. Reports said the BJP is likely to offer Shinde the deputy chief minister's post and accommodate many of his loyalists in the cabinet.
The apex court on Wednesday refused to stay the floor test but said Thursday's proceeding in the Assembly will be subject to the final outcome of Shiv Sena's plea against Governor's decision.
The top court also issued notice to the Secretary of Legislative Assembly and others on plea against the Governor's direction for the floor test.
"We have drafted this short order. We are not staying the floor test as convened by the Governor. We are issuing notice in the writ petition. You can file a counter in five days. We will hear on merits along with other cases on July 11. Tomorrow's proceeding will depend on the final outcome of this petition," the bench said.
