On Sunday, four-time Goa CM and former defence minister Manohar Parrikar passed away at the age of 63, following a prolonged pancreatic ailment. The passing away of the leader had created a political vacuum in the state with BJP with its allies, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Goa Forward Party (GFP), trying hard to find consensus on successive CM.
Last Night, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had arrived in the state and met with ministers and MLAs to pave way for the next CM, by building a consensus.
Pramod Sawant‘s name as the next CM of Goa is expected to be announced shortly.
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After several rounds of talks, the BJP-led alliance in Goa has reportedly come forward with the name of Dr. Pramod Pandurang Sawant, Goa’s assembly speaker, as the face to succeed Manohar Parrikar.
Name of Pramod Sawant took a while to come out, as other names like North Goa MP Shripad Naik, Rajya Sabha MP and state BJP President Vinay Tendulkar and state health minister Vishawajit Rane were doing rounds. BJP, according to reports, initially was deliberating on the name of Vinay Dinu Tendulkar, as there were demands from alliance not to make an incumbent MLA, the next CM of Goa.
Pramod Sawant represents Sanquelim constituency, since 2012, from Central Goa. In 2017 Goa assembly elections he had defeated Congress candidate Dharmesh Saglani, with a margin of around 2100 votes. He is an Ayurveda Practioner by profession. When CM Manohar Parikkar was bedridden, Sawant was tasked with attending public functions on his behalf.
The Goa Assembly has the full strength of 40, which has been reduced to 36 after the death of CM Manohar Parikkar and Francis D’Souza, and the resignation of two Congress MLAs. The majority mark currently at 19. Congress has 14 MLAs, followed by BJP which has 11 MLAs, and there are 3 MLAs each from GFP, MGP, and Independents, while Maharashtra-based NCP has 1 MLA.