- Name: Manoj Kotak
- Constituency: Mumbai North East
Manoj Kotak started working for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1989. Before being elected as an MP from the Mumbai North East constituency in the 17th Lok Sabha elections (2019), he served as a Municipal Corporator from Mulund from 2007 to 2019.
In the 2019 elections, Manoj Kotak got 56.61 percent of the total of 9,09,181 votes cast, getting 5,14,599 votes. He defeated his nearest rival, Sanjay Dina Patil of the NCP by 2,26,486 votes. Kotak was chosen to contest the elections instead of popular leader Kirit Somaiya, who was reportedly gearing for a second term.
The Mumbai North East constituency comprises of densely populated areas such as Mulund, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar and Mankhurd. The constituency has a strong Gujarati population, who have overwhelmingly supported the BJP in the past two general elections.
Who is Manoj Kotak?
| Name | Manoj Kotak |
| Age | 46 years |
| Political Party | BJP |
| Educational Qualification | SSC |
| Profession | Social Worker |
| Enrolled as Voter in | 155, Mulund Assembly (Maharashtra) constituency, at Serial no 863 in Part no 42 |
| manojkotak@hotmail.com, manoj.kotak@sansad.nic.in | |
| Contact Number | (011) 23094740, 23094741, 09821163742 (M) |
| Address | 1201, BPS Aakarshan, Murar Road, Near Kalidas Hall, Mulund West, Mumbai-400080, Maharashtra. |
Online presence:
- Website: https://manojkotak.in/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManojKotakBJP
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manojkotak_bjp/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PCMohanBJP
- Twitter: @manoj_kotak
Read more: General Elections 2024: Voter awareness and accurate registration crucial
Criminal cases against Manoj Kotak
Manoj Kotak has one criminal case pending against him. He has been convicted in one case. Following are the charges against him in these cases:
- charges related to Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means (IPC Section-324)
- charges related to Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means (IPC Section-326)
- charges related to Punishment for wrongful Confinement (IPC Section-342)
- charges related to Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace (IPC Section-504)
- charges related to Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention (IPC Section-34)
- charges related to Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt (IPC Section-323)
Source: myneta.info
Read more: Mumbai North-East candidates: Ruling party rookie takes on opposition’s old hand
Assets and liabilities
| Details | Holdings in 2019 |
| Movable assets | Rs 1,97,07,465 |
| Immovable assets | Rs 3,49,54,479 |
| Total Assets (Movable + Immovable) | Rs 5,46,61,944 |
| Liabilities | Rs 20,48,000 |
Previously, in 2016, when Manoj Kotak filed his affidavit for the biennial election to the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly, his movable assets amounted to Rs, 1,79,21,254 and his immovable assets amounted to Rs. 2,38,85,535. The total amounted to Rs. 4,18,06,789. His liabilities were mentioned Rs. 1,13,78,092.
Positions held by Manoj Kotak
- In 17th Lok Sabha:
- Member, Standing Committee on Commerce
- Member, Standing Committee on Finance
- Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Shipping
- 2007 – 2019: Corporator, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCMG), (Three terms)
Read more: Lok Sabha 2024: Know your MP – Gopal Shetty, Mumbai North
Performance of Manoj Kotak in Parliament
Manoj Kotak had very good track record in attendance, clocking 100% attendance in all the sessions except for the winter session of 2022 where his attendance was 92% and the budget session of 2022 where his attendance was 85%. His attendance was well over the national average of 79% and the state average of 74%.
| MP | Attendance | No of Debates participated | No of questions asked | Private Member’s Bill |
| Manoj Kotak | 98% | 53 | 367 | 7 |
| National average | 79% | 46.7 | 210 | 1.5 |
| State (Maharashtra) average | 74% | 57.6 | 386 | 2.9 |
He participated in 53 debates, which included topics such as the development of a flamingo bird watching park and tourist spot at Bhandup, the need to make boarding and deboarding facilities in Mumbai local trains disabled-freindly, and the need to run 15-coach local trains on the Mumbai suburban railway network.
He also raised the issue of water logging and delay in central suburban trains in Mumbai. Besides this, he requested the government to provide assistance to the BMC and the state government to prevent the outbreak of measles as well as to work on cases of malnutrition.
Questions in Parliament
Manoj Kotak asked 367 questions in Parliament, higher than the national average of 210 but lower than the state average of 386. He asked the Minister of Home Affairs for the details of the heinous crimes which have been committed in 2019-20, specially in Maharashtra, the manner in which the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ has been used for the protection of women and the results of the same.
He also asked the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change whether steps had been taken to protect the fragile coastline ecosystems in Maharashtra and to create a sustainable management system for the use of coastal and marine resources. He asked the Minister of Railways whether the railways proposes to offer private players the chance to run 150 modern trains on a revenue sharing basis and the details of the same. He asked the Minister of Communication whether the government is going to introduce 5G services for the improvement of Digital India, a government-run programme, and the details of the same.
The full list of the questions is available here.
Manoj Kotak introduced 7 Private Member’s Bills. The following is a list of the same:
- The Prohibition of Fake News on Social Media Bill, 2023
- The Urban Areas (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2023
- The Waste (Disposal and Management) Bill, 2023
- The Over the Top Platforms Regulatory Authority Bill, 2021
- The Establishment of Special Schools for Mentally Retarded Children Bill, 2019
- The Pre-School Regulatory Authority Bill, 2020
- The Welfare of Families of Defence Personnel Bill, 2020
MPLADS spending of Manoj Kotak
Manoj Kotak used his funds for addressing infrastructural challenges such as poor drainage systems and road repairs. His website talks about projects such as initiation of cycle track from Mulund to airport, upgradation of crematorium, zero garbage ward and organisation of Nav Ratri Festival, but it is not clear if they are executed from MPLADS fund.
| Recommended amount | Rs 7.89850000 cr |
| Utilised amount | Rs 7.730000 cr |
| Balance | Rs 0.16850000 cr |
Manoj Kotak in news
Manoj Kotak introduced a private member’s bill called Prohibition of Fake News on Social Media Bill, 2023′. The bill proposes an imprisonment of up to 7 years or a fine of up to Rs. 10 lakh, or both for spreading fake news. He has spoken about PM Narendra Modi in glorious terms, saying that under his governance India has become free of terror attacks and has strengthened its economic standing.
Manoj Kotak has not been given a ticket by the BJP for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Instead, Mihir Kotecha, the MLA from Mulund has been selected to contest elections from the Mumbai North East constituency.