President's rule imposed in Maharashtra

New Delhi: President's rule was Sunday imposed in poll-bound Maharashtra.

President's rule has been imposed and the state assembly has been kept under suspended animation in Maharashtra, an official release said here.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are slated for Oct 15.

The decision to impose President's rule was cleared by the union cabinet in a meeting Saturday, following a recommendation to this effect by Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao after resignation of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Friday.

Chavan's resignation came a day after ally Nationalist Congress Party Thursday ended its 15-year-old alliance with the Congress in the state and withdrew support to the Congress-led Democratic Front government, reducing it to a minority.

The governor accepted Chavan's resignation Saturday and asked him to continue as caretaker chief minister till alternative arrangements could be made.