In a significant reshuffle late at night in the Maharashtra government, Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Manikrao Kokate has been removed from the post of Agriculture Minister and given the responsibility of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Welfare.
Maharashtra Politics: A major political reshuffle has once again been witnessed in the Maharashtra government. Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP - Ajit Pawar faction) leader Manikrao Kokate has been relieved of the charge of Agriculture Minister. He has now been assigned the additional charge of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Welfare, as well as the Minority Development and Wakf Department. Meanwhile, the current Sports Minister, Dattatraya Bharne, has been appointed as the new Agriculture Minister of the state.
This change was implemented late at night through an official notification issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Maharashtra government, which is being considered a step towards improving the government's image and ensuring accountability.
Why was the Agriculture Ministry taken away?
Manikrao Kokate recently became embroiled in controversy when a video of him went viral during the proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. In this video, Kokate was seen playing online 'Rummy' on his mobile phone during the assembly session. This video was shared on social media by Sharad Pawar faction MLAs Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad, which led to b reactions in political circles.
This is not the first time Kokate has been surrounded by controversies. Previously, he had compared farmers to "beggars" in a statement, which led to public outrage and significant political opposition.
Responsibilities of New Ministries
Now, Kokate has been removed from the Agriculture Ministry and given the responsibility of the state's Ministry of Sports and Youth Welfare. Along with this, he has also been assigned the charge of the Minority Development and Wakf Department. This department is responsible for the management of schemes, facilities, and Wakf properties related to social and religious minorities.
Under this reshuffle, Dattatraya Bharne, who is an MLA from Indapur in Pune district, has been assigned the Agriculture Ministry. Bharne was previously serving as the Sports Minister. He is also associated with the NCP faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Efforts to save the party's reputation
Political experts believe that this decision is part of a strategy to save the reputation of the party and the government. The government wants to send a message that there is no place for indiscipline and irresponsible behavior, no matter how senior the leader may be. Earlier this year, NCP leader Dhananjay Munde also had to resign from his post when his close associate Valmik Karad was made the main accused in a murder case. These incidents had raised many questions about accountability and ethics within the party.
Opposition parties, especially the Sharad Pawar faction, have bly targeted the ruling faction regarding this entire episode. Rohit Pawar said that leaders who compare farmers to beggars and tarnish the dignity of the House by playing Rummy games have no right to remain in power.
