Manikrao Kokate

Manikrao Kokate is a politician from Nashik District of Maharashtra State. He is currently MLA of Sinnar Assembly Constituency on NCP Ticket. He has won from Sinnar assembly constituency 5 times.^[1]

Manikrao Shivajirao Kokate
Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 July 2025
Minister	Sports and Youth Welfare Minority Development and Aukaf
Cabinet	Third Fadnavis ministry
Chief Minister	Devendra Fadnavis
Deputy CM	Eknath Shinde Ajit Pawar
Preceded by	Dattatray Vithoba Bharne
Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra
In office 15 December 2024 – 31 July 2025
Minister	Agriculture
Governor	C. P. Radhakrishnan
Cabinet	Third Fadnavis ministry
Chief Minister	Devendra Fadnavis
Deputy CM	Eknath Shinde Ajit Pawar
Guardian Minister	Akola
Preceded by	Dhananjay Munde
Succeeded by	Dattatray Vithoba Bharne
Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office (2019-2024), (2024-Present)
Preceded by	Rajabhau Waje
Succeeded by	Rajabhau Waje
Constituency	Sinner
In office (1999-2004), (2004-2009), (2009 – 2014)
Preceded by	Tukaram Dighole
Constituency	Sinner
Personal details
Born	(1957-09-26) 26 September 1957 (age 67) Nashik, Bombay State, India
Political party	Nationalist Congress Party (2019-Present), (1999-1999)
Other political affiliations	Bharatiya Janata Party (2014-2019) Indian National Congress (2009-2014), (Before 1999) Shiv Sena (1999-2009)
Alma mater	B.Sc, LLB From University of Pune

He has unsuccessfully contested as Independent candidate for 2019 Lok Sabha Elections from Nashik Lok Sabha Constituency.^[2]

Political career

He started his political journey with Indian National Congress (INC) at young age. He left the Congress and joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which was founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999. After NCP denied him ticket for Sinnar Assembly Constituency, he switched to Shivsena and won the seat in 1999 and 2004 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Later he joined the rebellion of then Shivsena leader Narayan Rane and joined Congress along with Rane. He won from Sinnar for third time in 2009 assembly election on Congress ticket. He again switched to BJP for 2014 assembly election and was defeated by Shivsena candidate Rajabhau Waje. In 2019 Loksabha Elections, he fought as independent candidate from Nashik Lok Sabha seat, he was defeated by Shivsena candidate. He once again switched to NCP for 2019 assembly elections, he won the Sinnar assembly seat for 4th time by very thin margin. In the 2024 assembly elections, he won by a huge margin against the NCP Sharad Pawar's candidate, Uday Sangale. ^{[3][4][5][6][7]}