Senior NCP leader Dilip Walse Patil has emerged as a frontrunner for the post of Maharashtra’s Home Minister following the resignation of Anil Deshmukh.
Besides Walse Patil, the two others whose names are doing rounds are state NCP president Jayant Patil and Rajesh Tope.
Also read — Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh resigns
Tope is the state Public Health and Family Welfare Minister – and there is an opinion within the party that he should not be disturbed from the existing responsibilities because of the emerging Covid-19 pandemic scenario.
Patil is the state’s Water Resources and Command Area Development Minister and has served as the state’s Home Minister in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks when late RR Patil had to resign along with the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
Walse Patil is the state's Labour Minister. In the erstwhile Democratc Front government, he has held ministries like energy, higher and technical education.
In the past, he had served as the Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
He is currently serving as the President of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF).
He began his political career as NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s personal assistant.