Pramod Sawant takes oath as new Goa Chief Minister

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Pramod Sawant takes oath as new Goa Chief Minister

Pramod Sawant was Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly

Tuesday March 19, 2019 10:10 AM, ummid.com News Network

[Pramod Sawant (L) was Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly. (Photo: @DrPramodSawant2/Twitter)]

Panaji (Goa): Finally, Dr Pramod Sawant of BJP took oath as the new Chief Minister of Goa. Sawant took oath along with ministers in his 12-member cabinet that included his two deputies at 02 am last night. Sawant was Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly.

45-year-old Sawant became Chief Minister of the tiny Indian state after the demise of Manohar Parrikar. Parrikar had died on Sunday after a prolonged illnes. He was cremated with state honours on Monday.

"I have taken charge as Chief Minister with utmost humility and sense of gratitude towards my idol and mentor Manoharbhai", Sawant tweeted after taking oath of the office.

Earlier, there were reports of hectic tussle among BJP MLAs for the key post. The names that were taking rounds in the media for Manohar Parrikar's successor included Pramod Sawant, and allies Sudhin Dhawalikar and Vijay Sardesai, the head of the Goa Forward Party.

Vijai Sardesai had even said that his party may rethink its decision to support the BJP in the state since its support was never for the saffron party.

“We had extended our support to Manohar Parrikar not BJP. Now that he is no more, options are open. We want stability in Goa, we don’t want dissolution of the house. We’ll wait for the decision at the BJP legislature meeting and then take the next step,” news agency ANI quoted Sardesai as saying.

Vijay Sardesai and Sudin Dhavalikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party later settled for the post of Deputy Chief Minister. They also took oath along with Sawant.

The tussle for the top post intensified further after Congress staked claim to form the government in the state.

Congress has 14 members, BJP has 11, and Goa Forward Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party has 03 MLAs each. Besides them NCP has 01 and rest 03 are independents. The state has a total of 40 seats.

"The coalition partners of the Parrikar led government had allied with BJP on condition that the government is headed by Mr. Manohar Parrikar, the then Defence Minister of India. The BJP therfore has no allies as of now", Goa Pradesh Congress Committee said in a letter addressed to the Governor.

"Congress being the single largest party it is submitted that, the leader of the Congress legislative party is entitled to be invited to form the next government. We therefore hereby once again stake our claim to form a government in the state", the letter said.

The governor however did not invite the Congress for the government formation and instead called Sawant to take oath as the new chief minister of Goa.

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