Maharashtra minister loses agriculture portfolio after row over online game in Assembly, gets sports

Days after a row erupted over Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate allegedly playing an online card game in the Assembly, the state government on Thursday shifted him from the agriculture ministry to the sports and youth welfare department in a late-night reshuffle, PTI reported.

A notification issued by the General Administration Department said that Dattatrey Bharne, who is the current sports minister, will be the new agriculture minister.

It added that Kokate will also be in charge of the minority development and Auqaf department.

The political row erupted on July 20 after a video of Kokate purportedly playing an online card game in the Assembly was shared on social media by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar.

In a post on X, Rohit Pawar claimed that Kokate appeared to have “time to play rummy” since the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party faction could not take any decision without its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He added: “Therefore, when scores of farm issues are pending and every day eight farmers are ending their lives in Maharashtra, the agriculture minister does not seem to have any work.”

Kokate, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Ajit Pawar, represents the Sinnar constituency in Nashik. The faction is part of the ruling Maha Vikas...

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