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Maharashtra Minister Shifted After ‘Rummy in Assembly’ Controversy
Mumbai, August 1, 2025 – Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate has been reassigned to the Sports and Youth Welfare Ministry following a viral video that purportedly showed him playing an online rummy game during a Legislative Assembly session. The decision, announced late Thursday night by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, marks a significant cabinet reshuffle within the Mahayuti government. Dattatray Bharne, previously the Sports and Youth Welfare Minister, has now taken over the Agriculture portfolio.
The controversy erupted on July 20, 2025, when Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar posted a video on social media platform X, allegedly showing Kokate, a member of Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, engaged in a game of Junglee Rummy during a legislative session. The footage sparked widespread outrage, particularly given Maharashtra’s ongoing agrarian crisis, with opposition leaders highlighting the insensitivity of the Agriculture Minister playing a mobile game while farmers face severe distress, including an average of eight farmer suicides daily in the state.
Rohit Pawar’s post criticized the ruling alliance, stating, “Even with countless agricultural issues pending and eight farmers committing suicide daily in the state, the Agriculture Minister, with nothing else to do, seems to have time to play rummy.” Opposition leaders from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi coalition, including Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, condemned Kokate’s actions as an “insult to democracy” and a betrayal of farmers’ trust. NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad remarked, “The state legislature is a temple of democracy, and yet look at how they are acting in this temple.”
Kokate, a five-term MLA from Sinnar in Nashik district, vehemently denied the allegations, claiming the video was misleading. At a press conference in Nashik on July 22, he asserted, “I don’t even know how to play online rummy. These games require OTPs and linked bank accounts. My phone is not associated with any such app. This gaming advertisement had briefly popped up on my phone screen for 10 to 15 seconds, and I was trying to close it.” He further clarified that he was attempting to watch YouTube to follow Assembly proceedings when the ad appeared, and only a selective clip was shared to defame him. Kokate threatened legal action against opposition leaders for circulating the “edited footage” and demanded a formal investigation, promising to resign if proven guilty.
However, a probe report by the state legislature, as claimed by Rohit Pawar on July 30, contradicted Kokate’s defense. Pawar alleged that the report, submitted to Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, confirmed Kokate played rummy for 18 to 22 minutes, not merely 42 seconds as initially suggested. Pawar questioned the government’s inaction, stating, “If this government is not going to take action against a minister who was playing rummy online for 18-22 minutes, then the Chief Minister has no moral right to claim that he followed the ideology of Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.”
The rummy incident was not Kokate’s first brush with controversy. Earlier in 2025, he faced backlash for several contentious remarks and actions:
- January 21: Kokate admitted to 2-4% corruption in government schemes, including the Re 1 Crop Insurance Scheme, but argued that such irregularities did not justify discontinuing the programs.
- February 14: He likened farmers to beggars while defending the Re 1 crop insurance scheme, saying, “Even beggars do not take one rupee, but the government is giving crop insurance of the same amount, and this is also being misused.” The statement drew sharp criticism from farmers and opposition parties.
- February 20: A Nashik court sentenced Kokate and his brother Sunil to two years in prison for submitting fake documents to acquire flats under a government quota between 1995 and 1997. A sessions court later granted a stay on the conviction, allowing Kokate to retain his Assembly seat.
- April 4: Kokate alleged that farmers misused government scheme funds for weddings and engagement ceremonies rather than agricultural investments, further fueling outrage.
- July 22: In an attempt to clarify his “beggars” remark, Kokate controversially stated that he was referring to the government, not farmers, as beggars for collecting one rupee for crop insurance. This clarification only deepened the political backlash.
The mounting controversies put significant pressure on the Mahayuti government, with opposition leaders like NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal demanding Kokate’s resignation. Sule highlighted the 750 farmer suicides in the past three months, while Sapkal called Kokate’s actions disrespectful to both farmers and the state legislature.
On July 29, Kokate met Ajit Pawar at Mantralaya, where he reportedly apologized for the rummy incident and pleaded for a second chance. Sources indicated that Ajit Pawar initially relented, issuing a warning instead of demanding resignation. However, Chief Minister Fadnavis, reportedly incensed by Kokate’s cumulative controversies, particularly his remarks about farmers and the government, pushed for a portfolio change. BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar noted that while no law allowed immediate action against Kokate for the rummy incident, such behavior fueled public anger against politicians.
The cabinet reshuffle, finalized after a meeting between Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, saw Kokate reassigned to the Sports and Youth Welfare Ministry, a move perceived by many as a symbolic gesture rather than true accountability. Opposition leader Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT) criticized the decision, sarcastically suggesting that rummy be declared Maharashtra’s state sport. The agriculture portfolio, critical given the state’s agrarian challenges, was handed to Dattatray Bharne, who expressed readiness to take on the responsibility without confirming prior communication about the change.
Kokate, who has represented Sinnar since 1999 across multiple parties—Congress, Shiv Sena, BJP, and now NCP (Ajit Pawar)—has maintained his political stronghold despite his controversial tenure. His political journey, marked by a conviction in a 30-year-old fraud case and repeated inflammatory remarks, underscores his polarizing presence in Maharashtra politics.
As the state grapples with floods, crop failures, and farmer suicides, the reshuffle has sparked debate about whether the government’s response addresses the deeper issues of accountability and sensitivity toward farmers’ plight. For now, Kokate’s shift to the Sports Ministry closes one chapter of the rummy controversy but leaves open questions about his future conduct and the Mahayuti government’s commitment to agrarian reform.
