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Kokate, an NCP MLA from Sinnar constituency in Nashik district, was convicted and handed a two-year jail term by a Nashik court in the cheating and forgery case.
Maharashtra Minister Manikrao Kokate resigned. (Image via X/@kokate_manikrao)
Maharashtra Sports Minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate resigned on Wednesday following his conviction in a 1995 cheating and forgery case. Governor Acharya Devvrat stripped off his portfolios following his conviction and reassigned his ministries to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Kokate, an NCP MLA from Sinnar constituency in Nashik district, was convicted and handed a two-year jail term by a Nashik court in the cheating and forgery case linked to a state government housing scheme.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Governor Devvrat said, “I have received your letter dated December 17, 2025, recommending to allocate the portfolio of Sports and Youth Welfare, Minority Development and Aukaf held by Adv Manikrao Saraswati Shivaji Kokate to Shri Ajit Ashatai Anantrao Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister (Finance and Planning, State Excise.”
“I hereby convey my approval to your abovementioned recommendation,” the governor added.
After the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government was formed in December last year, Kokate was initially given the agriculture portfolio. However, following a series of contentious remarks and incidents involving him, he was handed over the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, considered comparatively less prominent, after receiving a warning from party chief Ajit Pawar, senior leaders earlier said.
In fact, a controversy erupted when, during the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature in Mumbai, a video of Kokate purportedly playing a game on his mobile phone while proceedings were underway went viral, drawing criticism from opposition members.
On Tuesday, the Nashik district and sessions court upheld the order of a first-class judicial magistrate, confirming a sentence of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 against Kokate for cheating and forgery. The court also issued an arrest warrant against him on Wednesday after dismissing his appeal against the earlier verdict.
(With agency inputs)
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December 18, 2025, 07:13 IST
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