Macron has asked PM for names to replace interior minister Collomb

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday asked his prime minister for names to replace Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, whose resignation Macron had turned down less than 24 hours earlier, a presidency official said.

Collomb, a former Socialist party stalwart who became one of Macron's earliest backers in his presidential campaign, told Le Figaro newspaper on Tuesday he still wanted to step down to run for mayor of the city of Lyon.

(Reporting by Marine Pennetier and Michel Rose; editing by Richard Lough)