National Congress Party (NCP) leader Dilip Walse Patil is likely to replace Anil Deshmukh as Maharashtra Home Minister. Deshmukh on Monday resigned from his post, hours after Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into corruption allegations against him.
Currently, Patil holds the portfolio of labour and excise in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government is a 6-time MLA from the Ambegaon constituency. In his 15-year tenure of the NCP-Congress government in the state, Patil has been in charge of Ministries such as Energy, Higher and Technical Education and Finance besides serving as the Speaker of the state Assembly from 2009 to 2014.
There is the possibility that Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray will be handling the Home Minister portfolio in the interim period, sources revealed.
Earlier today, the Bombay HC had directed a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into the petition filed by Param Bir Singh letter accusing Anil Deshmukh of corruption and extortion.
In his letter, Deshmukh said he is stepping down on "moral grounds" after the Bombay High Court's order. He sent his letter of resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who heads an alliance government of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress.
Last month, former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh created a controversy when claimed that Deshmukh had asked to suspend Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, who had been arrested in the SUV case and is in NIA custody, to collect Rs 100 crore from Mumbai's restaurants, bars and hookah bars. Singh has alleged that Deshmukh used to call police officers to his official residence and gave them a "collection target" from bars, restaurants and other establishments.