Ajit Pawar hints at action against Kokate, to quiz minister next week

Senior NCP leaders said Pawar will either drop Kokate from his team or reassign him to a lower-profile

- Faisal Malik

Controversial agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate has forced deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar to play his hand - ironically, over a card game.

Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), will meet Kokate early next week, to ask the NCP minister to explain himself after he was allegedly caught playing rummy on his mobile phone while the legislature was in session.

Kokate has denied being distracted by a game of rummy during house proceedings, claiming he was merely trying to close a popup that had appeared on his phone. Nevertheless, he will have to defend himself before Pawar, who will also quiz the minister on controversial statements he has made in recent times, despite being told to rein it in. NCP sources say that after he meets Kokate, Pawar will discuss the matter with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.