In a significant political development, Maharashtra's Minister for Sports and Minority Affairs, Manikrao Kokate, has resigned from the state cabinet. This move comes directly after a sessions court in Nashik convicted him and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment for tampering with documents to illegally acquire a government flat.
Resignation Accepted, Portfolios Stripped
The resignation of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was formally accepted on Thursday. This action followed a day after he was stripped of his ministerial portfolios. Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar confirmed the acceptance of the resignation in a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting the constitutional completion of the process.
In an official statement, Ajit Pawar emphasized his party's principles. "Our party has always believed that public life must be guided by constitutional morality, institutional integrity, and respect for the judiciary," Pawar stated. He added that Kokate submitted his resignation following the court's verdict, and it was accepted in line with the party's philosophy that the rule of law is supreme above all individuals.
The Legal Case and Political Journey
The conviction stems from a 1995 case related to the illegal acquisition of flats under the Chief Minister's discretionary quota. The Nashik sessions court found Kokate guilty of document tampering in this decades-old scandal. Following the verdict, Kokate was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital due to ill health, making him unavailable for comment. He has since challenged the conviction in the Bombay High Court.
Kokate's political career has seen several shifts. He began with the undivided Shiv Sena, later moved to the Congress, and finally joined Ajit Pawar's NCP faction during the party's dramatic split in 2023. He represents the Sinnar constituency in Nashik district as an MLA.
Not the First NCP Ministerial Exit
This incident marks another instance of an NCP minister in the Maharashtra government stepping down under controversy. Earlier this year, Minister Dhananjay Munde had to resign after his aide was allegedly linked to the murder of a village sarpanch in Beed district.
Kokate's ministerial tenure has also been rocky. In August 2024, he was removed from the Agriculture portfolio after being allegedly photographed playing cards on his mobile phone. He was later reinstated as the Sports and Minority Affairs minister, while the Agriculture portfolio was handed to Dattatray Bharne, a confidant of Ajit Pawar.
The swift acceptance of his resignation following the court order underscores the ruling alliance's attempt to project an image of accountability and respect for judicial processes, even as the convicted minister seeks legal recourse in a higher court.
