Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who last month completed four years of his second term in the office, resigned on Thursday.

"I have accepted moral responsibility for Mumbai terror attacks. In a democracy one has to honour people's anguish and anger," he said after submitting his resignation.

The 63-year-old Deshmukh drove to Raj Bhawan and submitted his resignation to Governor S C Jamir, soon after he addressed a press conference.

New Delhi - The chief minister of India's Maharashtra state resigned Thursday, accepting moral responsibility for the Mumbai terror attacks.

"In a democracy one has to honour people's anguish and anger," PTI news agency quoted Vilasrao Deshmukh as saying at a press briefing in Mumbai.

Deshmukh's resignation comes a week after terrorists wrought mayhem in India's financial hub - which is also the capital of Maharashtra state - killing 171 people and injuring over 300.

Opposition parties in Maharashtra have welcomed the exit of Vilasrao Deshmukh as Chief Minister.

They have alleged that he was a non-performer.

"Deshmukh was non-serious and he was also a non-performer. We are not sad to see him go because of the way he handled Mumbai terror attacks," BJP state unit president Nitin Gadkari said.

"Deshmukh's resignation won't do as the entire government had "failed" on all fronts and needed to be dismissed," said Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and senior Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam.

Mumbai, Dec 4: Senior Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony will leave for Mumbai today to decide on the new Maharashtra Chief Minister.

The decision is taking place after the Congress party accepted the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh late on Wednesday night.

Antony, who looks after party affairs in Maharashtra, has said that Deshmukh has been asked to step down following last week''s terrorist attack in Mumbai.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh will meet Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday evening in the wake of his offer of resignation following the Mumbai terror attacks.

Deshmukh will leave for Delhi after meeting President Prativa Patil, who is currently in Mumbai.

Deshmukh will hold talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi as well as senior leaders including A K Antony, who is in-charge of party affairs of Maharashtra and also Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

The discussions on the issue of successor to Deshmukh have gained momentum after these developments.

R R Patil, who submitted his resignation as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home portfolio on Monday. As a consequence of this event the Nationalist Congress Party called an emergency meeting of its legislature assembly members on Tuesday to decide his successor.

Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, is also expected to resign on Tuesday afternoon after the President leaves for Delhi. "I had already offered to resign at the CWC meeting. It is now for Sonia Gandhi to take a final call," said Deshmukh on Monday.