CANBERRA (Reuters) - Three senior Australian ministers tended their resignations on Thursday and called on besieged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to call a second leadership ballot, saying they believe he has lost the majority support of the ruling Liberal party.

Turnbull narrowly won a party-room vote on Tuesday by 48 to 35 against former home affairs minister, Peter Dutton. But the unconvincing victory had left him vulnerable to another challenge. Dutton has called for a second ballot.