India, March 5 -- Controversial Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde resigned from the cabinet on Tuesday citing health grounds, which was promptly accepted by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Munde, a leader of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), had been under mounting pressure to quit following the arrest of his election manager in the murder of a village head who was tortured to death in Beed in December. Munde, 49, is a two-term MLA from Parli assembly constituency and his resignation is a blow to Ajit Pawar with whom he shares close ties. He began his political career under the patronage of his uncle, the late BJP leader Gopinath Munde, but charted his independent course after the senior Munde picked his daughter ...