Goa new CM: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Pramod Sawant was sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Goa in the wee hours of Tuesday. Besides Sawan, 11 leaders including Sudin Dhavalikar of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Vijai Sardesai of Goa Forward Party, were also administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor Mridula Sinha.
According to Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik, Sardesai and Dhavalikar have been inducted as Deputy Chief Ministers. He told reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony at Raj Bhavan. Both Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party were part of the government headed by Manohar Parrikar. All the other nine MLAs who took oath were part of the previous BJP-led coalition government.
The Congress, which is single largest party in the state Legislative Assembly, however, protested saying the BJP had no right to stake claim. The party accused the BJP of creating an artificial majority.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari who coordinated the BJP moves and talks with allies, said that BJP’s alliance partners and MLAs will meet the Governor and signed letters establishing majority in the Assembly will be submitted to the Goa Governor.
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Newly-appointed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met family members of his deceased predecessor Manohar Parrikar before assuming charge of office, hours after he took oath of the post at around 2 AM. Sawant visited the family members of Parrikar at their private residence at Dona Paula near here around 12 noon, before heading to the CM's Office at state Secretariat, Porvorim. Speaking to reporters, the new chief minister said his priority would be to reach out to every person, and carry forward the "glorious legacy" of good governance left behind by Parrikar.
The Congress in Goa has accused Governor Mridula Sinha of allowing BJP to carry on horse trading and ignoring repeated requests from the Congress party to stake claim to form a government in Goa, despite being the single largest legislative party. "We strongly condemn the undemocratic action of Governor Sinha for not allowing our single largest party to form the government and allowing BJP to carry on horse trading, despite BJP not having sufficient numbers to form the government," Goa Congress chief spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar. "The Governor is acting as an agent of BJP and this will be remembered as the darkest day in Indian democracy where there is vacuum in government for more than 24 hours of declaration of death of Chief Minister of the state," he added.
Pramod Sawant had the backing and trust of Parrikar who, in his final days, relied on him to get work done. With Parrikar gone, and given the precarious numbers in either camp, Sawant’s real test will be to keep the NDA flock intact, especially the allies who will want a bigger share and say in the state.
Hundreds of widows in Vrindavan on Monday decided not to celebrate Holi this time to mourn the sad demise of Manohar Parrikar. Sulabh International had planned to organise Holi celebrations for the widows but it was deferred due to Parrikar's death. Scores of widows gathered at the historic Gopinath temple in Vrindavan on Monday to offer condolences and pay respect to the departed soul. The widows also held a prayer meeting at the temple where they lit candles and sang bhajans.
From being an ayurveda practitioner to being the Goa chief minister, Pramod Sawant (46) has come a long way. The two-time MLA from Sankhalim in North Goa, Sawant, who was Speaker of the state Assembly, is a dedicated RSS worker. The politician was recently seen in the RSS uniform at a Sangh event. His political career began in the BJP as a youth leader. A staunch Parrikar supporter, he had worked closely with the late leader. He won the 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections from North Goa's Sankhalim constituency, which used to be a Congress stronghold.
Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was cremated with full state honours at the Miramar beach in Panaji on Monday evening. He who died on Sunday night after suffering from pancreatic cancer for over a year. Parrikar, 63, is survived by two sons, two daughter in-laws and a grandson.
As per the agreement between BJP and its allies, Sudin Dhavalikar of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Vijai Sardesai of Goa Forward Party would serve as the Deputy Chief Ministers.
Besides Sawant, 11 leaders including Sudin Dhavalikar of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Vijai Sardesai of Goa Forward Party, also took oath at the Raj Bhavan.
Hours after Manohar Parrikar was cremated with full state honours, his trusted man Pramod Sawant headed to the Raj Bhavan to stake claim. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Mrodula Sinha in a midnight ceremony at Raj Bhavan.
The current strength of Goa Assembly is 36 MLAs. While to BJP has 12 MLAs, the Congress is the single largest party with 14 MLAs. The BJP claims to enjoy the support of three MLAs of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, three MLAs of Goa Forward Party and three are Independents. The NCP has one MLA.