Decision on Kokate to follow court order, says CM Fadnavis
Last month, a Nashik Magistrate’s court convicted NCP MLA Kokate in a cheating case and sentenced him to two years in jail for submitting fake documents to obtain flats under a government quota.
Raising the issue in the Upper House, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve questioned the government’s stance on Kokate’s conviction. (Express File) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the Legislative Council on Monday — the first day of the Budget session — that a decision regarding State Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who has been convicted in a cheating case, will be taken by the legislature or the Governor after the court delivers its order.
Raising the issue in the Upper House, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve questioned the government’s stance on Kokate’s conviction. “The Agriculture Minister has been convicted, and no higher court has granted a stay on the verdict so far,” Danve pointed out, suggesting that Kokate’s disqualification as an Assembly member could lead to his resignation.
Council chairman Ram Shinde, however, noted that Kokate is a member of the Lower House and advised that the matter be raised there. In response, Opposition members asserted that a minister is accountable to both Houses.
Addressing the issue, CM Fadnavis reiterated that a decision would be made following the court’s ruling. “The court has completed its hearing, and the matter is reserved for judgment. A decision will be taken after the order, either by the House or the Governor,” he said.
He also criticised the Opposition for disrupting proceedings while the House was observing a condolence motion for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away in December 2024.
Last month, a Nashik Magistrate’s court convicted NCP MLA Kokate in a cheating case and sentenced him to two years in jail for submitting fake documents to obtain flats under a government quota. His sentence was later suspended by a sessions court, which is set to rule on March 5, 2025, on his plea seeking a stay on the magistrate’s order.
On the first day of the session, both Houses paid tribute to Manmohan Singh.
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