Meet Dilip Walse Patil who is under consideration for Maharashtra home minister after Anil Deshmukh

New Delhi: Maharashtra Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh resigned from the post on Monday (April 5). This has triggered a fresh wave of turmoil in the ruling party. However, speculations suggest the NCP already has a leader lined up to replace Anil Deshmukh.

Maharashtra Minister for Labour and Excise Dilip Walse Patil’s name is under consideration for the Home Minister post after the resignation of Anil Deshmukh.

The Maharashtra Home Minister’s resignation came a day after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into the corruption allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

“I don't have the moral right to continue in office after the court order. I have decided to quit. Kindly relieve me from my post,” Deshmukh's resignation letter said.

Who is Dilip Walse Patil?

Dilip Walse Patil is the son of former Congress MLA and Sharad Pawar’s friend Dattatray Walse Patil. Dilip is a seasoned politician and  started his career as Sharad Pawar’s personal assistant.

In 1990, he fought his first election on a Congress ticket from the Ambegaon Assembly constituency and won. He has held the seat since.

Dilip Walse Patil followed Sharad Pawar into the NCP in 1999 and became a minister in Vilasrao Deshmukh’s cabinet. He was given charge of power and medical education.

Over the years, Dilip Walse Patil has also held the posts  the finance and planning portfolio.

Between 2009 and 2014, he also served as the speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly.