Maharashtra minister’s video playing online card game on phone in Assembly sparks row

A political row erupted in Maharashtra on Sunday after a purported video of state Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate 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 quipped that Kokate appeared to have “time to play rummy” since the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party faction could not take any decision without 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 Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, represents the Sinnar seat in the Nashik district.

The faction is part of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in the state, which includes the BJP and the Shiv Sena group led by former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

“#जंगली_रमी_पे_आओ_ना_महाराज…!”

सत्तेतल्या राष्ट्रवादी गटाला भाजपला विचारल्याशिवाय काहीच करता येत नाही म्हणूनच शेतीचे असंख्य प्रश्न प्रलंबित असताना, राज्यात रोज ८ शेतकरी आत्महत्या करत असताना सुद्धा काही कामच नसल्याने कृषिमंत्र्यांवर रमी खेळण्याची वेळ येत असावी.

रस्ता भरकटलेल्या… pic.twitter.com/52jz7eTAtq— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) July 20, 2025

Commenting on the row, Kokate claimed that someone else had downloaded the game on his phone, ANI reported.

He claimed...

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