Maharashtra Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate (Instagram:Manikrao Kokate )
New Delhi: Maharashtra Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate resigned from the state cabinet on Thursday. His decision came shortly after a Nashik sessions court upheld a two-year jail sentence against him in a 30-year-old cheating and forgery case.
The conviction rekindled criticism of Kokate and put his ministerial role under intense scrutiny. Within hours of the arrest warrant being issued, he stepped down to avoid further political turmoil in the ruling alliance.
The court’s ruling confirmed that Kokate and his brother had used forged documents in 1995 to secure two flats by understating their income under a government housing scheme.
Once the warrants were issued, pressure mounted from opposition parties and civil groups for Kokate to give up his post. The state government moved swiftly to ease the political heat, and Kokate submitted his resignation amid growing calls for accountability.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will now handle Kokate’s portfolios, including Sports and Youth Welfare and Minority Development, until further decisions are made.
In a letter 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 said.
Kokate has approached the Bombay High Court, seeking relief against the conviction. A hearing is scheduled later this week. His legal team argues that immediate disqualification shouldn’t follow while the appeal is pending.
Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers and activists maintain that resignation was the right step, and some are pressing for his disqualification as an MLA.
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