Maharashtra minister stripped of portfolios after conviction in 1995 forgery case

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate has been stripped of his ministerial portfolios following his conviction in a decades-old cheating and forgery case.

Kokate, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from the Sinnar constituency in Nashik district, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and fined ₹50,000 by a Nashik court on Wednesday in connection with a 1995 case related to a state government housing scheme.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Governor C P Radhakrishnan approved the reallocation of Kokate’s portfolios — Sports and Youth Welfare, Minority Development, and Aukaf — to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Pawar already holds the Finance, Planning, and State Excise portfolios. With the decision, Kokate remains a minister without any portfolio.

The Nashik district and sessions court earlier dismissed Kokate’s appeal against the conviction, upholding the order passed by a judicial magistrate. Following the ruling, an arrest warrant was issued against him.

Meanwhile, Kokate was admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital after complaining of chest pain and uneasiness. Police officials confirmed that he is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.

Kokate’s political career has been marked by repeated controversies. After the formation of the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government in December last year, he was initially assigned the agriculture portfolio. However, following a series of contentious remarks and incidents — including a viral video purportedly showing him playing a mobile game during a legislative assembly session — his responsibilities were reduced, and he was later shifted to the Sports and Youth Welfare department.

The latest conviction and subsequent removal from portfolios mark a significant setback for the NCP leader amid ongoing political churn within the Maharashtra government.
(With PTI inputs)