Nearly one and a half years after it lost power and became the principal Opposition party, the BJP scored second major goal against the Shiv Sena-led MVA Government on Monday, as Anil Deshmukh resigned as the State Home Minister over the allegations of corruption, close on the heels of the resignation of Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Rathod over the suspicious death of a Tik Tok star.

Just 37 days after Sena’s Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod over his alleged links to the suicide by 22-year-old Pooja Chavan, Deshmukh of the NCP resigned as the State Home Minister over the allegations of corruption made against him by Mumbai’s former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.

With the back-to-back resignations by two MVA Ministers, the Opposition BJP has scored a political point over the three party ruling alliance in the state. 

It may be recalled on the eve of the budget session of the State Legislature,  Rathod had on February 28 resigned as the State Forest Minister over Poojka Chavan’s suspicious death.

On February 8, Pooja had allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the Heaven Park building in Pune’s Wanwadi locality on the intervening night of February 7 and 8.

Following her death, the Opposition BJP on Saturday had upped the ante over the alleged of a 22-year-old Tik-Tok star Pooja Chavan, by rooting for the arrest of Rathod, who was reportedly in love with the deceased woman.

BJP leaders Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Kirit Somaiya and party’s woman leader Chitra Wagh had said that the minister had no moral right to continue in the office. “In fact, he should be booked abetting Pooja’s alleged suicide and arrested immediately,” Wagh said.

Former chief minister and senior BJP Devenra Fadnavis had demanded that Pooja’s death be investigated in view of the fact that the telephonic conversations between her and the minister had gone viral on society media.

Similarly in the case of State Home Minister, the BJP made an issue over the allegations of corruption made by the former Police Commissioner against Deshmukh and a report submitted by former State Intelligence Commissioner Rashmi Shukla on the alleged scam involving the transfer and postings of officers.

Fadnavis had on March 23 demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged racket involving the transfers and promotions of police officers ranging from inspectors to high-ranging IPS officers. However, the MVA government dismissed the report submitted by Rashmi Shukla saying that she had exceeded her brief in conducting the probe.

Simultaneously, in a move that was seen as the one orchestrated by the BJP, Mumbai’s former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh moved the Supreme Court on Monday, demanding a CBI probe against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh over corruption charges.

On March 25, after the Supreme Court refused to entertain his similar plea, Param Bir Singh on Thursday moved the Bombay High Court, seeking a CBI investigation into the alleged corruption charges against the Maharashtra Home Minister.

On its part, the BJP on Monday appeared to be taking credit for the resignation of Deshmukh as the State Home Minister over the charges of corruption made by the former police commissioner.