Mumbai: The Opposition increased pressure on the state assembly speaker, Rahul Narwekar, to disqualify agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate from the state legislature after his conviction in a cheating case. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut stated that, given Narwekar’s track record in the disqualification cases of Shiv Sena and NCP MLAs, he cannot be expected to act with integrity.
Meanwhile, Narwekar maintained that he has not yet received a certified copy of the court order. “Once I receive a certified copy of the court order, I have to issue a notification within seven days. I will act according to the rules, without favouring anyone,” said Narwekar on Sunday.
Speaking to the media, Raut said, “The Speaker is lying. He is under pressure. Given his track record on the disqualification cases of MLAs after the split of the Shiv Sena and NCP, he cannot be expected to act with integrity.”
NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad wrote to Narwekar on Sunday, demanding that Kokate be disqualified. “Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as an MP after he was convicted in a defamation case. And Kokate is a minister,” he pointed out.
In his letter, he noted that in Dec 2023, former minister from the Congress, Sunil Kedar, was disqualified a day after his conviction in a cooperative bank scam.
Narwekar said, “Even in the Sunil Kedar case, the rules were followed. The notification was issued only after receiving a certified copy of the court order.”
On Feb 20, Kokate and his brother were sentenced to two years in jail by a Nasik magistrate for forging documents to secure a flat each under the state’s quota for the economically weaker section.
Under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, any elected representative sentenced to two years or more stands to be disqualified from the date of the verdict. The Legislature Secretariat has to issue a notification declaring his seat vacant as the first step towards the disqualification.