NCP leader Manikrao Kokate steps down following a court upholding his conviction in a three-decade-old housing scam. The verdict triggers political turbulence in Maharashtra, raises questions on ministerial accountability, and intensifies pressure on Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
Two-year prison sentence confirmed against Kokate and his brother.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Sports Minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate resigned on Wednesday, just hours after a Nashik sessions court upheld his conviction in a decades-old housing scam. The court confirmed a two-year prison sentence against Kokate and his brother Vijay Kokate, who were found guilty of cheating and forgery related to alleged misuse of a 10 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Section in a 1995 housing scheme.
The verdict now opens the possibility of Kokate’s disqualification from the Maharashtra legislature, as election law mandates that any conviction of two years or more leads to immediate disqualification unless stayed by a higher court.
Following the court’s confirmation of the sentence, an arrest warrant was issued against Kokate. His legal team promptly approached the Bombay High Court seeking urgent intervention, with the matter scheduled for hearing on Friday. Later on Wednesday, Kokate was admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital, temporarily avoiding arrest.
Kokate had previously made headlines this year after being seen playing rummy on his mobile phone during a state assembly session, earning him the nickname Maharashtra’s “Rummy Minister.”
The conviction intensified political turbulence within the Mahayuti alliance. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar cancelled scheduled election engagements and held emergency meetings with senior NCP leaders. He also briefed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the evolving situation.
Sources indicate that Fadnavis sought contingency plans if Kokate’s conviction was not stayed. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena reportedly pressed for Kokate’s resignation, emphasizing that the government could not be perceived as shielding a convicted minister. Meanwhile, Kokate has been stripped of his portfolios pending formal resignation submission.
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Opposition leaders wasted no time criticizing the handling of Kokate’s case. Congress and rival NCP faction leaders accused the government of selective enforcement, comparing the delay in action against Kokate with swift disqualifications in cases involving Rahul Gandhi and former minister Sunil Kedar. Critics argued that political convenience, rather than law, determined the timing of ministerial resignations.
The Kokate episode coincided with a surprise meeting in Delhi between senior NCP leader Dhananjay Munde and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, sparking speculation of a potential cabinet reshuffle. Munde, who resigned in March following a controversy linked to a murder case in Beed district, recently resumed public engagements ahead of local body elections. He clarified that his meeting with Shah was pre-planned and focused on the inclusion of the Prabhu Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga pilgrimage site under the PRASHAD scheme.
