The BJP, which won 105 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, needed 40 MLAs to prove a majority. The party had banked on Ajit Pawar to bring in 54 NCP MLAs, but the gamble didn't pay; hardly anyone followed "Ajit-Dada".

"Ajit Pawar gave me his resignation. He told me he was resigning because of personal reasons. 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, we don't have the numbers. So I have also decided to resign," Mr Fadnavis told reporters.

The resignations came after the Supreme Court ordered an "immediate" floor test, to be telecast live, so that Mr Fadnavis could prove his majority in the assembly. "If the floor test is delayed, there is a possibility of horse-trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court to act to protect democratic values," said the court.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the two top leaders of the BJP, had met right after the Supreme Court verdict. A message from the leadership went to Mr Fadnavis after the meeting.

Mr Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in on Saturday, in a sudden oath ceremony at 7.50 am that was challenged in the Supreme Court as undemocratic and unconstitutional.

Ajit Pawar's turnabout was key to the BJP's surprise comeback. But nearly all NCP MLAs returned to the party fold over the past few days and more than 50 also participated in a show of strength at a five-star hotel in Mumbai last evening. It became increasingly apparent that the Ajit Pawar was isolated within his own party and that the BJP may not have enough MLAs after all.

Ajit Pawar never took charge of his office or attended any event in his short-lived stint. Several NCP leaders, including his uncle Sharad Pawar and cousin Supriya Sule, called him to persuade him to return to the fold.

Unfazed by Ajit Pawar's four-day "betrayal", many of his supporters held up placards of "Ajit-Dada, we love you" at the Trident, where the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress met on government formation.

Maharashtra will have a Sena chief minister after 20 years but a Thackeray as Chief Minister for the first time. In the election last month, Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya became the first of his family to ever contest the election.