After the acceptance of Anil Deshmukh's resignation by the Maharashtra government, CM Uddhav Thackeray on Monday evening announced the new Home Minister of the state- Dilip Walse Patil.
Dilip Patil is the National Congress Party (NCP) leader and is known as the close former aide of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Currently, Patil holds the labor and excise portfolio in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and 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.
Notably, earlier on Monday, Anil Deshmukh resigned from the position of state home minister hours after Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into the corruption allegations leveled on him.
A preliminary inquiry within 15 days has also been directed by the Bombay High Court into the petition filed by Param Bir Singh letter accusing Anil Deshmukh of corruption and extortion.
Also Read: Anil Deshmukh resigns from his post as Maharashtra Home Minister
Deshmukh on Monday wrote sent a letter to the government which read that the "I am stepping down on moral grounds after the Bombay High Court's order. I have sent my 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.
Pertinently, the Maharashtra government has also decided to give charge of the State Excise Ministry to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is already handling the portfolio of the State Finance Ministry.