Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate is going to get a big shock. Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar has written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and proposed a change in the portfolio of Kokate. Sources informed ABP News.

NCP leader Kokate can be probably made the Minister of Sports. At the same time, Dattatraya Bharan will take charge as the new Agriculture Minister. Dattatraya Bharane is the minister of Ajit Pawar faction.

Why can the department be changed?

The development occurred after a major controversy, when a video surfaced in which Cocate was allegedly seen playing Rummi game online on his phone during the assembly session.

NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar shared a video of it. There was a lot of controversy after this. Opposition leaders criticized the insensitivity to Cocate amid Maharashtra’s agrarian crisis.

Cocate open poll in investigation

However, Cocate denied these allegations. Claimed that they were trying to shut down a pop-up advertisement. He threatened legal action against the slander.

Later, a legislative investigation led to the imprisonment that he played the game for 18 to 22 minutes. It was expected that Ajit Pawar could demand his resignation, but Kokate was left with warning only after promising to apologize and do not do such behavior again.

What did Manikrao Kokate say?

Manikrao Kokate claimed on Thursday (31 July) that he neither offered to resign nor was asked to leave the post on behalf of NCP or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He said, “I recently apologized to the farmers during the interaction with the media if Rummi’s game controversy had hurt their feelings.”

Along with playing Kokate Rummi, he was also in controversies about comparing farmers to beggars. He has also been sentenced by the court in the 1995 housing fraud case. However, the court later postponed the sentence.

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate arrived at his last-chamber in the ministry to meet Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. After entering Ajit Pawar’s room of Cocate, there was a discussion between the two for more than 15 minutes.

During this, Ajit Pawar expressed his displeasure over Manikrao Cocate and said that he should keep restraint while speaking and he reprimanded the cotton. In fact, during the recent assembly session, a video of Cocate went viral, in which he was seen playing Rummi games on mobile inside the House.

Opposition is demanding the resignation of Manikrao Kokate

Apart from this, he also gave such a controversial statement “Sarkar is beggar” about the government. Due to these incidents, Manikrao Kokate has come under the controversy and demand for his resignation from the opposition is constantly being demanded. Due to this, the situation of the government also seems to be uncomfortable.

However, in the midst of all this, sources said that Cocate met Ajit Pawar and Ajit Pawar explained to him in clear words and reprimanded him. After this meeting, the discussions of Cocate’s resignation have intensified again.

Manikrao Kokate regretted

Cocate assured Ajit Pawar that such incidents would not happen again in future. He expressed regret. Ajit Pawar himself will publicly declare the final decision regarding Manikrao Kokate.

Discussion to change department

Earlier, sources had told that the department of Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Cocate, who was caught in controversies, can be replaced by playing Rami. Agriculture Department can be given to Minister Makarand Patil from NCP Ajit Pawar faction, while the relief and rehabilitation department can be given to Cocate.

The department of Agriculture Minister Manikrao Cocate in the Maharashtra government can be changed. Cocat is caught in controversies due to playing Jungle Rami in the assembly. After this, there is talk of changing their department.

The Agriculture Department can be given to Minister Makarand Patil from NCP Ajit faction, while the relief and rehabilitation department can be given to Cocate.

Opposition demanding resignation

Manikrao Kokate has given many controversial statements before as Agriculture Minister, now he is caught in controversies due to Jungle Rumi. The opposition is constantly demanding their resignation, in such a situation, the government can try to calm the opposition by changing their department.

,#Junglee_rimi_Pa_Ao_Na_Maharaj,

Sattatalya nationalist Gatala BJP’s Visit Kahin Kahich Yat Naahi Mahanunch Shetich innumerable Questions Relaxed Asatana, Rajyaat daily suicides: Asatana Sudha Sudha Sudha Sudha Sudha Kahni Kahni Kahnam Nasal Nasan Nastrian Krishimantriya Krishnavanavar Rami Khenyachi.

Rasta Bharkatlelya… pic.twitter.com/52jz7etatq

– Rohit Pawar (@Rrpspeaks) July 20, 2025

Minister was seen playing Rami playing in the video

Let me tell you that Rohit Pawar, MLA of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar), recently posted a video clip on his ‘X’ handle in which Agriculture Minister Kokate is seen playing ‘Rami’ online on his mobile phone during the monsoon session of the Legislature. There was political ruckus as soon as this video came in front. Cocate has rejected these allegations of the opposition.

Controversial statement was given on the government

Apart from this, Manikrao Kokate also gave a controversial statement on Tuesday (July 22). He tried to clarify his earlier remarks on the farmers and described the government as ‘beggar’, after which the opposition surrounded him fiercely.

Congress surrounds

Congress’s Maharashtra unit president Harshvardhan Sapkal said, “If the minister himself says that ‘Sarkar is beggar’ then this is the culmination of insensitivity.” He also said whether Kokate in Fadnavis has no courage to dismiss the cabinet for his insensitive remarks.

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who was surrounded by allegations of playing online in the assembly, made a big statement on Tuesday (July 22). He said that I am going to write a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Speaker Rahul Narvekar for investigation. If any truth is found in it, then I will go to the Governor in the winter session and resign.

The video of Kokate playing Rami during the Legislature session is viral. Due to this, pressure is constantly increasing to demand the resignation of Cocate.

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate is once again in controversy. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar has posted on X and claimed that during the assembly session, he was seen playing ‘Jungle Rumi’ on his mobile. Pawar wrote tightly, “Junglee rami pe aao na_ maharaj …!” This incident has created a stir in the politics of the state.

Nobody noticed the problems of farmers

In his tweet, Pawar targeted the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and BJP alliance. He said that when countless issues related to agriculture are pending in the state and 8 farmers are committing suicide daily, the Agriculture Minister gets time to play Rami. Pawar raised the question whether the ruling parties are capable of taking any decision without the permission of the BJP.

Farmers’ demands unheard- Rohit

Farmers in Maharashtra have been demanding crop insurance, loan waiver and Bhavantar Yojana for a long time. Pawar said in a tone tone, “Never come to the cultivation of poor farmers, Maharaj!” He alleged that the government and its ministers are ignoring this painful call of farmers. The incident questions the priorities of the government amid growing farmer suicides and agrarian crisis in the state.

Opposition attacks the government

After this revelation of Rohit Pawar, the opposition has attacked the ruling alliance. Opposition parties say that when the situation of farmers is getting worse from bad, then such behavior of the government ministers reflects insensitivity. He has demanded that Kokate apologize for this incident and the government should solve the problems of farmers immediately.

So far no official statement has come from Manikrao Kokate or the ruling coalition on this dispute. Political analysts believe that this incident can become a big issue for the opposition in the upcoming assembly sessions.