Deshmukh resigned in 2021 as the Home Minister of Maharashtra due to allegations of money laundering and other charges by Param Bir Singh.

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.

Famous personalities including Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, Lata Mangeshkar and Sunil Gavaskar have received this award since.

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.

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.

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.

[10][11] As a Home Minister, he introduced the ‘Self Balancing Electric Scooters’ (Segway) for Mumbai Police personnel that would help them while on patrolling duty.

[17][18] 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.

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.

[22] 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.