Former Maharashtra minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh was seriously injured when his vehicle was pelted with stones in Nagpur on Monday night. Police said that Anil Deshmukh was returning to Katol after a public meeting in Narkhed village at around 8 pm, when this incident happened. According to the police, stones were pelted at Anil Deshmukh’s car near Belphata on Jalalkheda Road near Katol, in which he got injured and he was immediately taken to Katol Civil Hospital.
This incident has happened on the last day of the campaign for the assembly elections being held in Maharashtra on 20th November. Anil Deshmukh’s son Salil Deshmukh is contesting from Katol assembly constituency on NCP (SP) ticket. His competition is against BJP’s Charan Singh Thakur. Let us know the entire political journey of Anil Deshmukh so far…
Became MLA and then directly minister
Anil Deshmukh, who reached the Assembly for the first time as an independent MLA in 1995, took part in the coalition government. Deshmukh was entrusted with the departments of School Education, Higher and Technical Education, Cultural Affairs. When Anil Deshmukh was the Culture Minister in the coalition government, he had started the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ award to honor individuals who have done glorious work for Maharashtra in various fields.
Deshmukh Fort Katol
Katol assembly constituency in Nagpur is considered as the stronghold of Anil Deshmukh. NCP was founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999. At that time, leaders of many parties including Congress had joined the new party along with Sharad Pawar. Anil Deshmukh was also one of those leaders. Soon after this, in the assembly elections held in 1999, Anil Deshmukh again became MLA from Katol. Later in the year 2004, he again registered a hat-trick by winning from NCP in Katolamadhi.
Till now Anil Deshmukh has held the ministerial post.
Except for the time from 2014 to 2019, Anil Deshmukh has been a permanent minister. After joining NCP, he was also given the responsibility of important departments.
- 1995 (Coalition Government) – Cabinet Minister, School Education, Higher and Technical Education, Cultural Affairs
- 1999 (former government) – Minister of State, School Education, Information and Public Relations
- 2001 (Central Government) – Cabinet Minister, State Excise, Food and Drug Administration
- 2004 (Central Government) – Cabinet Minister, Public Works
- 2009 (Central Government) – Cabinet Minister, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection
Defeated in 2014 elections
In the 2014 elections, Anil Deshmukh lost from Katol to Ashish Deshmukh, who contested from BJP. Now Filal Ashish has also returned to Congress. In the 2019 assembly elections, NCP made Anil Deshmukh its candidate from Katol and he won.
Some decisions taken by Anil Deshmukh while he was a minister were discussed in the entire state. Be it the case of forcibly singing the national anthem in theaters when he was the Minister of School Education and Culture, or the boycott when he was the Minister of Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, the seven kilometer long Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai was completed when Deshmukh was the Public Works Minister.
Surprised everyone by becoming Home Minister
In 2019, when the Uddhav Thackeray government announced its cabinet, everyone’s eyes were on who would get the post of Home Minister. NCP’s Katol MLA Anil Deshmukh was given the charge of Home Minister. On one hand, when stalwarts like Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Jayant Patil, Dilip Walse Patil were present in NCP, then Sharad Pawar gave the post of Home Minister to Anil Deshmukh.
Had to resign from the post of Home Minister
Anil Deshmukh was the Home Minister of the state during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. While being the Home Minister, he was accused of financial irregularities, which also included allegations of extortion and money laundering. Due to these allegations he had to resign from the post of Home Minister and was also arrested. During his arrest he also remained in jail for 14 months. Former state home minister Anil Deshmukh was arrested by ED. He was granted bail on October 4, 2022. After this, on 28 December 2022, he was released from Arthur Road Jail.
Name came up in Antilia case
In February 2021, a four-wheeler filled with explosives was found in front of Mukesh Ambani’s residence Antilia. When the then opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis raised this issue in the assembly session, the attention of the state and the country was drawn towards it. Subsequent developments show that the threads of the Antilia case first reached Mumbai Police Crime Branch officer Sachin Waje, Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh and then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh himself. Meanwhile, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh had alleged that Anil Deshmukh had demanded Rs 100 crore every month.
