The decision of cabinet reshuffle comes days after a video surfaced online showing Manikrao Kokate playing an online rummy game on his mobile phone while seated in the Maharashtra Legislative Council during the recent monsoon session
Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate was on Thursday night shifted from the Agriculture Ministry. File Pic
Maharashtra Minister Manikrao Kokate was on Thursday night shifted from the agriculture ministry and reassigned to the sports and youth welfare ministry, an official notification said.
The late-night cabinet reshuffle was announced by the General Administration Department (GAD).
It stated that Dattatray Bharne, the current Sports Minister, will now take charge of the agriculture portfolio and replace Kokate.
The notification said that Kokate has also been given responsibility for the Minority Development and Auqaf departments.
Both Kokate and Bharne are leader of the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Bharne is the MLA from Indapur in Pune district of Maharashtra, while Kokate represents Sinnar in Nashik district.
The decision of cabinet reshuffle comes days after a video surfaced online showing Kokate playing an online rummy game on his mobile phone while seated in the Maharashtra Legislative Council during the recent monsoon session.
The rummy video was shared widely on social media by NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leaders Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad, sparking criticism and raising questions about the conduct of elected representatives.
Kokate had earlier come under fire for allegedly for his farmers and beggars remark. It had triggered outrage among agricultural communities and political opponents.
The development comes just months after Dhananjay Munde, another Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader, was forced to resign following his aide Walmik Karad being named as the main accused in the Beed sarpanch murder case.
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