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Panaji, March 18
BJP’s Pramod Sawant will be the new Goa Chief Minister, party sources said here today, ending the suspense over who will succeed Manohar Parrikar, who died yesterday after battling pancreatic cancer. He was cremated this evening with state honours.
Sawant, who is the Goa Assembly Speaker, arrived at Raj Bhavan Monday late night to take oath. The two would-be Deputy CMs are Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLA Sudin Dhavalikar.
As per the arrangement with the allies, an MLA each from the two small parties backing the BJP in the coastal state will be made Deputy CM. It was after a series of meetings that the BJP managed to break the deadlock, accepting the allies’ key demand. There was no such arrangement in place when Parrikar was the CM.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said a consensus eluded the BJP and its allies on the next CM. The Goa Forward Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s three MLAs each, an equal number of Independents and BJP legislators were locked in discussions since late Sunday night to reach a consensus on Parrikar’s successor. Gadkari led the discussions.
The Congress is currently the single largest party in the state with 14 MLAs. The BJP has 12 legislators in the 40-member Assembly, whose strength now stands at 36 owing to the demise of BJP MLA Francis D’Souza earlier this year and Parrikar on Sunday, and the resignation of Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte last year.
The Congress MLAs met Governor Mridula Sinha and staked claim to form the government in the coastal state. Led by Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, they went to Raj Bhawan and handed over a letter to the Governor. “We are saddened by the CM’s demise, but before his final rites are performed, a new government has to be formed...The Governor acknowledged that the Congress is the single largest party and said she will get back to us,” Kavlekar told the media.
In Delhi, the Congress accused the BJP of creating an “artificial majority” on the directions of the Centre. Senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “The one who has a majority should form a government. It is not right for democracy if an artificial majority is created as per the directions of the Central government.”
Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union ministers and CMs of BJP-ruled states attended Parrikar’s funeral at Miramar. Parrikar’s elder son Utpal lit the funeral pyre.
The mortal remains of the 63-year-old BJP leader were kept in a flower-bedecked hearse. The affection Parrikar enjoyed was on display as hundreds of common folks and his party workers lined up to pay tributes. — PTI
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