Rummy in Assembly Row Triggers Cabinet Shake-Up in Maharashtra
Rummy in Assembly Row: Bharne Takes Manikrao Kokate’s Place After He Is Shut Out of the Agriculture Ministry in Maharashtra A minister was caught playing the online game rummy in the parliament during the session, which sparked a late-night Cabinet upheaval.
Following the ‘Rummy in Assembly’ controversy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reorganised his Cabinet late on Thursday, moving NCP leader Manikrao Kokate from the Agriculture Ministry to the Sports and Youth Welfare Department. Kokate was succeeded by the current Sports Minister, Dattatrey Bharne, hence the two ministries switched places. Bharne is now the Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra.
The General Administration Department (GAD) sent out a notification. Kokate will also oversee the Auqaf and Minority Development Departments, according to the GAD.
Rummy Game Row: What Is It?
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate's video of him playing Junglee Rummy, an online card game, on his phone in the Legislative Assembly proves how the BJP led state government is 'Gambling' with the lives of farmers.
Farmers are committing suicide due to lack of… pic.twitter.com/9WZpwtvSsG
— Clyde Crasto (@Clyde_Crasto) July 20, 2025Kokate and Bharne belong to the NCP, which is governed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. While Kokate, a party comrade, represents the Sinnar constituency in the Nashik district, Bharne is an MLA from the Indapur district in Pune. When Kokate was seen using his phone to play an online game at an assembly, he became embroiled in scandal. On social media, NCP (SP) leaders Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad posted a video tape showing Kokate sitting in the legislative council during the monsoon session and using a mobile phone to play an online rummy game.
“The video of Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate playing the online card game Junglee Rummy on his phone in the Legislative Assembly demonstrates how the BJP-led state government is ‘gambling’ with the lives of farmers,” said NCP (SP) leader Clyde Crasto, criticising Kokate. Due to the government’s and their representatives’ lack of support, farmers are killing themselves; rather than speaking out about their predicament in the august house, they are occupied with games. The BJP and Manikrao Kokate are “Rubbing Salt in the Wounds” for Maharashtra’s farmers. It’s shameful.
The NCP leader has been embroiled in scandal before. A few months prior, he had again courted controversy by comparing farmers to beggars.
Another NCP politician, Dhananjay Munde, was forced to leave the Mahayuti government earlier this year when his close aide Walmik Karad was designated as the primary suspect in the murder case of Santosh Deshmukh.
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