NCP minister Kokate loses agriculture gets sports ministry Oppn says he is being rewarded

    Mumbai, Aug 1 (PTI) Maharashtra Minister Manikrao Kokate, who was at the centre of the storm for allegedly playing online rummy in the legislative council, has been appointed the new Sports Minister, a decision drawing criticism from the opposition. The Devendra Fadnavis government's reshuffle saw Kokate moved from the prestigious agriculture ministry and replaced by Dattatrey Bharne, according to a notification from the General Administration Department (GAD) issued late on Thursday.

Both Kokate and Bharne are members of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Kokate has also been given additional charge of the Minority Development and Auqaf departments.

    Opposition parties questioned the reshuffle, saying that Kokate was being rewarded instead of being punished, and chief minister Fadnavis was "helpless" as he is running a coalition government.
     Kokate, a legislator from Sinnar in Nashik district, found himself embroiled in controversy after a video of him playing an online rummy game on his mobile phone while sitting in the legislative council during the monsoon session was shared on social media by NCP (SP) leaders Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad.


Kokate has denied all allegations, claiming he was not playing rummy and was only trying to close a pop-up advertisement on his mobile device.

This is not the first controversy for the minister. A few months ago, he was criticised for allegedly equating farmers with beggars.

The opposition was quick to react to the new appointment with NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto expressing surprise that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, whom he called a "disciplined person," had not asked Kokate to resign.

In a post on X, Crasto said, "How shameful can it be? Manikrao Kokate continues to be a minister, now armed with a different portfolio. He insulted our farmers, and the government of Maharashtra."

He said if people like Kokate continue to get leniency, then they will keep insulting and mocking brazenly.

"What is surprising is someone like Mr. Ajit Dada Pawar, who is a disciplined person, has not asked Kokate to resign but ironically has given him another portfolio. What does CM Mr. Devendra Fadnavis have to say on this issue? Or is he also endorsing Manikrao Kokate, a man who has insulted Maharashtra's farmers and government?," Crasto added.

    State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said the BJP-led government was "shameless and spineless".
    "The minister was caught red-handed playing rummy during an important legislature session. Instead of sacking him, the government rewarded him with the sports ministry. This is not punishment, it is an honour. Maybe now they will recommend rummy as an Olympic sport and give him the Shiv Chhatrapati Award (given to distinguished sportspersons) too," Sapkal said.
    Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the reshuffle will not help the government's image.
     "I can confidently say that the (tainted) ministers will have to go. This is a temporary arrangement," he said.

Ministers from the allies Shiv Sena and NCP have become a burden for CM Fadnavis who wants to offload them, he claimed.
Similar efforts were made to save NCP's Dhananjay Munde who resigned earlier this year after his aide was arrested in connection with sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh's murder in Beed, Raut said.
"There is anger against Kokate across the state. The chief minister is helpless, because he is running a coalition government, and (Deputy CM and NCP president) Ajit Pawar tried to save Kokate. But he has to go," Raut said.
The opposition has also been demanding the ouster of Shiv Sena Ministers Sanjay Rathod, Sanjay Shirsat and Yogesh Kadam who are caught up in various controversies.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)