Political Turmoil: Maharashtra Sports Minister Faces Uncertain Future

Maharashtra's Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate faces potential removal after a Nashik court convicts him in a 1995 cheating and forgery case. CM Fadnavis has tasked Deputy CM Ajit Pawar with identifying Kokate's replacement. Kokate challenges his conviction, while NCP leaders deliberate on the implications.

The Maharashtra Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate is at the center of political tumult following his conviction in a decades-old cheating and forgery case by a Nashik court, raising questions about his future in the state Cabinet.

After Kokate received a two-year jail sentence, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged his deputy, Ajit Pawar, to propose a suitable replacement, indicating a possible shift in the Cabinet's composition. This conviction relates to a 1995 state government housing scheme fraud.

In response, Kokate has approached the Bombay High Court to overturn the ruling. Meanwhile, key NCP figures, including state president Sunil Tatkare, are actively discussing strategies amid this legal debacle, poised to meet on Thursday to chart the party's course forward.

(With inputs from agencies.)