On a day of fast-paced developments, Azad along with his ministers and MLAs arrived at the newly constructed state Assembly building where other party legislators gathered for the one-day session during which the chief minister was to seek a trust vote.

59-year-old Azad in his over 130-minute-long Assembly speech, highlighting the achievement of his government, gave enough indications that it was his farewell address.

As he ended his address, Azad requested Speaker Tara Chand to withdraw the confidence motion moved by him at the beginning of his speech.

"I do not wish to put my friends in trouble whose heart is somewhere else and their party whip is somewhere else," Azad said.

"I am satisfied with my work. The motive I came with, I have largely achieved it. I don't care who will be the chief minister. I don't care whether the government survives or falls... I have shown the way," he said after which he went to Governor N N Vohra to submit his resignation.

While accepting the resignation of Azad and his council of ministers, the Governor asked him to continue as Chief Minister till alternative arrangements were made.

The Governor also held talks with National Conference President Omar Abdullah, who conveyed to Vohra that his party did not have adequate numbers to form the Government.