Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan resigned on Wednesday after final results of the assembly elections showed the Congress emerging as the single-largest party.

Chouhan, who governed Madhya Pradesh for 13 of the 15-year BJP rule, met Governor Anandiben Patel in the morning to submit his resignation.

Before heading to the Raj Bhavan, the outgoing Chief Minister held a meeting with top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders at his residence. The meeting was attended by Kailash Vijayvargiya, Rakesh Singh, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Narendra Singh Tomar among others.

Following the meeting Chouhan announced that he has decided to resign and the BJP will not stake claim to form a government in the state as they have not secured a majority.

“As we have not got the majority in the state so we are not going to stake claim to form the government. And I am going to submit my resignation to the Governor,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation, Chouhan said, “Ab mein mukt hoon (I am free). I have tendered my resignation to the honourable Governor. The responsibility of defeat is totally mine. I have congratulated (MP Congress chief) Kamal Nath ji.”

He also recited a few lines from a poem by Shivmangal Singh ‘Suman’, which was often quoted by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“Na haar mein, na jeet mein, kinchit nahin bhaybhit main, kartavya path par jo bhi mile, yeh bhi sahi woh bhi sahi (In defeat or in victory, I remain unafraid; whatever comes on my path of duty, I accept both this and that.),” recited Chouhan.

The final tally of the 230-seat Madhya Pradesh assembly came out only in the morning today. The Congress got 114 seats, two short of the majority, while the BJP secured 109. Samajwadi Party got 1 seat and Independent candidates won on 4.

Read More: MP cliffhanger ends, Congress emerges single-largest party but short of majority

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which won 2 seats, extended its support to the Congress thus bringing the grand old party to the majority mark.

In a late night drama, the Congress had declared that they had won the state with a clear majority. In a press conference held at 2.30 am, top Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Digvijaya Singh said they had written a letter to the Governor to invite them to prove their majority.

The Congress party had earlier on Tuesday wrested two states, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, from the BJP.