BJP's Pramod Sawant to be Goa chief minister; allies set to get two Deputy CM posts

BJP leader Pramod Sawant is set to be appointed as the new chief minister of Goa after the demise of Manohar Parrikar.

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leader Sudin Dhavalikar and Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader Vijai Sardesai are set to be appointed as the Deputy Chief Ministers, sources said. Dhavalikar is the MLA from Marcaim while Sardesai had won the seat from Fatorda.

The decision was taken at a meeting of BJP leaders in Goa’s capital Panaji. The meeting was attended by party president Amit Shah and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

Both the MGP and the GFP had offered support to the BJP to form the government after the 2017 Assembly elections.

At that time, the Congress had emerged as the single-largest party with 17 seats while the BJP had won 13 seats. None of the parties made it to the halfway mark and independently form the government in Goa, which has a total of 40 assembly constituencies.

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The BJP, with the support of the regional parties – MGP and GFP, both of which had won three seats each, – and Independents had staked claim to form the government in the state. At that time too, the regional parties, particularly the MGP, had said they will support the saffron party only if Manohar Parrikar was made the chief minister. Parrikar had to then resign from the post of the Union Defence Minister and was sworn in as Goa’s chief minister.

After the demise of Parrikar, Goa was in a state of political turmoil.

On March 16, a day before Parrikar’s demise, the Congress had written to Governor Mridula Sinha, staking claim to form the government in the state. The Congress had also sought the BJP-led government’s dismissal.