In just 48 hours, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has twice expressed his displeasure with Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate — a clear indication that all is not well for the Ajit Pawar-led NCP MLA from Sinnar in Nashik. On Sunday, Kokate triggered a controversy after a video of him allegedly playing mobile games during a session of the state legislature went viral. While Kokate denied the charge, both Fadnavis and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar voiced their displeasure.

Then, on Tuesday, Kokate stirred fresh outrage after appearing to liken the state government to “beggars” while defending an earlier remark about the farmers’ insurance scheme. “I had said that even beggars don’t accept a single rupee. People misquoted me, claiming I was calling farmers beggars. But that’s not true. It’s the government that gives the R1 to insurance companies, not the farmers,” Kokate clarified. The implication, that the government was being compared to beggars, sparked immediate backlash.

NCP-SP (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule called the comment “an insult to all the hard work done by former chief ministers to develop Maharashtra.” Reacting to the comment, Fadnavis said, “I haven’t heard the full statement. But if the minister has indeed made such a remark, it’s wrong. Maharashtra is in a sound financial position.”