• India
  • Mar 19

Sawant takes charge as new Goa CM

Goa Speaker Pramod Sawant was sworn in as the new chief minister of the coastal state just before 2 am on March 19, capping a day of hectic parleys between the BJP and its allies.

After multiple postponements of the oath-taking ceremony on March 18, the day when his predecessor Manohar Parrikar was cremated with state honours, Sawant was sworn in by Governor Mridula Sinha at the Raj Bhavan.

Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 46-year-old MLA from Sankhalim in North Goa.

The governor also administered oath to 11 other ministers, including those from the BJP’s allies Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).

Interestingly, all the ministers who were part of erstwhile Parrikar-led Cabinet were sworn in by the governor.

MGP MLAs Sudin Dhavalikar and Manohar Ajgaonkar were sworn in, while GFP MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Vinod Palekar and Jayesh Salgaonkar also took oath.

BJP MLAs Mauvin Godinho, Vishwajit Rane, Milind Naik and Nilesh Cabral also found a place in the Sawant-led Cabinet.

Independent MLAs Rohan Khaunte and Govind Gawade were also sworn in.

As per the power-sharing arrangement, an MLA each from the two small parties backing the BJP will be made deputy chief minister. They are GFP chief Vijai Sardesai and MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar.

The new government was sworn in with the support of 20 MLAs, including 11 from the BJP and three each from the GFP, MGP and Independents.

Before taking oath as the CM, Sawant resigned from the post of Speaker. Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo would be officiating as Speaker till election for the post is held.

Goa witnessed hectic political activity after Parrikar died on March 17, following a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

There were a series of meetings involving the GFP and MGP’s three MLAs each, an equal number of Independents and BJP legislators to reach a consensus on Parrikar’s successor.

The Congress is currently the single largest party in the state with 14 MLAs. The BJP has 12 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly, whose strength now is 36 after Parrikar’s death.

The strength of the House has reduced due to the demise of BJP MLA Francis D’Souza earlier this year, and Parrikar, and resignations of two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte last year.

All the Congress MLAs met the governor on March 18 and staked claim to form the government. The MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, went to Raj Bhawan and handed over a letter to Sinha, saying it was the single largest party and should be allowed to form the government.

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