Decision on swearing-in ceremony tomorrow, says Goa's caretaker CM Pramod Sawant
The BJP won 20 seats in the 40-member Goa assembly. With two MLAs from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three independents, the saffron party will form the government in the coastal state for the third term
Pramod Sawant is likely to take oath as the Goa chief minister on March 24, sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party told Hindustan Times. The meeting of the BJP Legislative party has been scheduled for Monday.The swearing in could be held either Wednesday or Thursday, BJP sources added.
“I went to Delhi yesterday, BJP observers will be coming here tomorrow for the Legislature Party meeting. The decision about the swearing-in ceremony will also be taken in the evening tomorrow,” the chief minister said.
The Goa BJP wil stake claim to form the government tomorrow after meeting of legislature party. The meeting of the legislature party has been fixed for tomorrow 4pm.
The development comes a day after Sawant along with his party colleague Vishwajit Rane met home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. According to reports, Rane had expressed his desire to become the chief minister.
"The meeting was about various issues related to Goa," Rane told news agency PTI.
The meeting between caretaker chief minister Sawant, Rane and Shah comes days after the BJP won 20 seats in the 40-member Goa assembly. With two MLAs from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three independents, the saffron party will form the government in the coastal state for the third term.
The BJP won with a vote share of 33.3%, while the Congress won 23.46%, around 5 percentage points lower than 2017 tally in the state.
The BJP has appointed union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan as the observers to oversee the government formation. Last Wednesday, Sawant had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss government formation. He was accompanied by Goa in-charge Devendra Fadnavis, desk in-charge CT Ravi, Goa BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade and state general secretary Satish Dhone.
“Our party is grateful to the people of Goa for blessing us yet again with the mandate to serve the state. We will keep working for Goa's progress in the times to come,” Sawant had tweeted after his meeting with PM Modi.
