Deshmukh served as the chairman of
Nagpur Zilla Parishad during initial years of his political career. He first got elected to
Maharashtra state assembly in 1995 from
Katol as an independent candidate. He represented that constituency until 2014. He served as
Minister of State in the
BJP–
Shiv Sena coalition government in 1995. His portfolios in that government included Education, and Culture. He later joined the
Nationalist Congress Party, a party formed in 1999. When the NCP–Congress alliance came to power in Maharashtra in 1999, he initially served as Minister of State for School Education, Information and Public Relations, Sports & Youth Welfare. He was promoted as a
Cabinet Minister in the state government. As a cabinet minister from 2001 to 2014, he was in-charge for the following departments: • Excise, Food & Drugs, Maharashtra State (2001 to March 2004) • Public Works (Public Undertakings), Maharashtra State (2004 to 2008) • Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Maharashtra State (2009 -2014) Deshmukh lost the Katol seat to his nephew,
Ashish Deshmukh in 2014 assembly elections. However, he regained the
Katol seat as the
NCP candidate in the
2019 Maharashtra assembly elections. Deshmukh was appointed Home Minister of Maharashtra when the
MVA alliance of NCP, Shiv sena and Congress led by Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray came to power in November 2019. In addition to his portfolio, Deshmukh is also the Guardian Minister of
Gondia district.
From 1995 to 1999 Anil Deshmukh held the portfolio of Minister of State for School Education, Higher & Technical Education, Cultural Affairs in the government of Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999. As the Minister of State for School Education, he started the initiative to regulate the burgeoning private coaching classes, where the teachers employed by schools simultaneously ran private coaching institutions. Deshmukh is said to have been involved in setting up the
Maharashtra Bhushan award, the highest civilian honour in the state of
Maharashtra. Famous personalities including
Purushottam Laxman Deshpande,
Lata Mangeshkar and
Sunil Gavaskar have received this award since. He was active in the drive to reduce the weight of bags carried by students enrolled in schools affiliated with
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education.
From 1999 to 2001 Deshmukh held the portfolio of Minister of State for School Education, Information and Public Relations, Sports & Youth Welfare in the Maharashtra Government during this period. Under his charge, the construction of India's second-largest air-conditioned indoor sports stadium began in
Nagpur.
From 2001 to 2004 Deshmukh was a Cabinet Minister in the Maharashtra government during this period and held the State Excise, Food & Drugs portfolio. During his tenure, the
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed the law to ban
gutka, a form of chewing tobacco which contains carcinogens in the state.
2004 to 2008 During this period, Deshmukh was the Minister of Public Works (Public Undertakings) in the Maharashtra government. He administered the department during the final few phases of the development of the
Bandra–Worli Sea Link, a project which had already suffered delays of multiple years. The project was finally completed in 2009.
2019 and later Deshmukh took charge of the Home Ministry of Maharashtra in the
MVA coalition government led by
Uddhav Thackeray after the
2019 Maharashtra political crisis. He proposed the establishment of a specialized treatment center for the police personnel infected during the
COVID-19 pandemic. As the Home Minister, he tabled the proposed
Shakti Bill in the
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly which sought to modify provisions pertaining to sexual offences against women and children. The bill was ultimately sent for review to a committee of the Legislative Assembly after an outcry from various women's rights groups and activists. As a Home Minister, he introduced the ‘Self Balancing Electric Scooters’ (
Segway) for
Mumbai Police personnel that would help them while on patrolling duty. He famously attended the complaint calls at the
Pune city police control room on New Year's Eve and celebrated the same with police personnel. During his tenure, the home ministry declared
ex gratia to the families of police personnel who lost their lives to
COVID-19. He also proffered one-rank promotion to fourteen police officers for their historic valor and courage during the
26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks. It is claimed that he was the first ever Home Minister of the state to visit the Regional Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Pune and spent time interacting with the staff and discussed ways to equip the Laboratory with the latest technology.
2021 accusations and resignation as Home minister Former commissioner of Mumbai Police
Param Bir Singh, in a letter in March 2021 accused Deshmukh of bribery. Deshmukh resigned from the post of the Home Minister of Maharashtra in the
MVA coalition government led by CM
Uddhav Thackeray after the Bombay high court directed the
Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of corruption and misconduct leveled by former commissioner Param Bir Singh.
CBI and ED probe Anil Deshmukh is currently under investigation by the Indian
Central Bureau of Investigation and
Enforcement Directorate, following accusations made by the former Mumbai
Police commissioner Param Bir Singh. Deshmukh remained untraceable from July 2021 for a period of more than three months and failed to appear before enforcement directorate five times during that period. However, on 1 November 2021, he voluntarily came to the ED office in Mumbai after the Bombay High court on 30 October denied his plea to cancel enforcement directorate, and was formally arrested. The Bombay High court set aside the judicial custody and remanded Deshmukh into custody till 12 November. The probe has been criticized by NCP chief,
Sharad Pawar. In January 2022, Anil Deshmukh filed for a bail plea as usual but was rejected by the Special Court and is currently lodged at the Arthur Jail. Deshmukh dislocated his shoulder whilst being in judicial custody. His application to get the surgery to correct that in a privately run hospital rather than a government run facility has been opposed by ED. The judgement was pending in the case as of 2022. ==Ministerial positions held in Government of Maharashtra ==