India, Feb. 26 -- The fate of state agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate will hang in balance till March 1 as the Nashik sessions court has reserved its order on staying his conviction in a 30-year-old cheating case. The court, on Tuesday, continued hearing his appeal against the conviction for the second consecutive day, following which it declared that the order would be passed on March 1.

If the court does not stay Kokate's conviction, he could be disqualified as member of legislative assembly as per provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which mandate that a person cannot continue in office as a public representative upon being sentenced to prison for two or more years. The Opposition has been demanding his disqual...