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Maharashtra Sports Minister Manikaro Kokate criticised BJP for creating divisions ahead of local elections, sparking sharp responses from BJP leaders.
Maharashtra Minister Manikrao Kokate (Credits: X)
Maharashtra Sports Minister and NCP leader Manikaro Kokate took a swipe at BJP, accusing the party of “creating splits and divisions” for its entire history. His remarks come just days before the local body elections in the State.
Speaking during a campaign meeting in Sinnar in Nashik ahead of the Nagar Panchayat and Nagar Parishad polls on December 2, Kokate said that the BJP had become “fully diluted”. He added that the main electoral contest was within the Mahayuti alliance itself, rather than with the Opposition.
“The conflicts are only amidst Mahayuti. The election struggle is in our alliance. The Opposition is nowhere to be seen. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) can still be seen, but they are diluted. Splits here, splits there, the BJP is only creating divisions. Amid all this, veteran workers are sitting at home, as many did not get tickets,” he said.
He further alleged that the BJP had poached his own family member during the last Assembly elections, claiming,”BJP poached one of my family members in the Assembly elections and has since poached a member of MP Rajabhau Waze’s family. BJP is a diluted party.”
The BJP responded sharply to his comments. Party leader Nitesh Rane said, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will give the right answer. He is showing why he was made the sports minister from the agriculture minister.”
Another BJP leader, Parinay Fuke, dismissed Kokate’s remarks with a jibe, saying, “He is making such statements because he is bored with playing rummy.”
Fuke’s comment referred to an earlier controversy, when Kokate was seen playing rummy on his phone while the Assembly was in session.
Opposition parties had then demanded his resignation as Agriculture Minister. He was later removed from that post and assigned the sports ministry.
The exchange has added to tensions within the ruling alliance as campaigning picks up for the local elections.
Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can follow her…Read More
Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can follow her… Read More
Nashik, India, India
December 01, 2025, 14:36 IST
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