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.

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.

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.

New Delhi, Dec 2 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh held talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders here this evening at her residence following the Mumbai terror attacks.

Senior party leaders Pranab Mukehrjee, Ahamed Patel and A. K. Antony who is also in-charge of Maharashtra attended the meeting.

The meeting comes in the wake of Deshmukh''s offer of resignation following Mumbai terror attacks.

Deshmukh is under pressure from the opposition to resign after last week''s terror attacks.

Mumbai, Dec 2 : Maharashtra''s main opposition party Shiv Sena met the President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, here today and urged her to remove the State Government in the wake of last week''s militant attacks in the city.

Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi, who headed the delegation, told reporters after their meeting with the President that they have demanded removal of the state government led by Vilasrao Deshmukh as it was unable to protest the state from terror strikes.

New Delhi, Dec 2 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh will meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders here this evening in the wake of his offer to resign following the Mumbai terror attacks.

According to sources, discussions on the issue of Desmukh’s successor will gain momentum after his arrival.

Besides meeting Sonia Gandhi, Deshmukh will also meet Defence Minister A K Antony, who is in-charge of party affairs in Maharashtra and also Sonia Gandhi''s political secretary Ahmed Patel.