Amid suspense over the choice of Goa’s next Chief Minister, the BJP top leadership on Monday appointed Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister of State for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry L. Murugan as observer and co-observer for the election of the leader of Goa’s legislative party.
According to sources, both will be holding one-on-one meetings with all the winning BJP candidates.
BJP Goa State president Sadanand Shet Tanavade told reporters in Panaji that the swearing- in of the new government was likely to take place only after the Holi festivities (March 18-19).
The results, declared on March 10, saw the BJP win a decisive 20 of the 40 seats besides gaining unconditional support of three independent candidates as well as the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which had contested the February 14 polls on an anti-BJP plank in alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
When asked about the inclusion of the MGP in the government, Mr. Tanavade said the decision rested with the central leadership. He nonetheless admitted that a number of the newly elected MLAs and party workers were against taking the MGP along in the new government.
Sawant’s thin victory margin
While the BJP will stake claim to form government for the third consecutive term, the issue of who will fill the Chief Minister’s post continues to draw speculation given Pramod Sawant’s thin victory margin from his constituency, Sanquelim.
Mr. Sawant narrowly won by a margin of 666 votes, defeating Congress’ Dharesh Saglani. In contrast, his alleged rival within the BJP - Health Minister Vishwajit Rane - scored an emphatic win in his bastion, Valpoi, by winning with a margin of over 8,000 votes.
Mr. Rane’s win has put a cloud over Mr. Sawant’s claim to the Chief Minister’s post.
According to some observers, Mr. Sawant is likely to continue as Chief Minister, as the BJP had campaigned with him as the chief ministerial candidate after the results.
Rane meets Governor
Mr. Rane’s meeting with the Governor on Saturday sparked political speculation over the purpose of his call. Later, an irate Mr. Rane hit out at the media for reading ‘political intent’ into what was purely a “personal visit.”
“Much as Vishwajit Rane may angle for the Chief Minister’s post, the party’s top leadership is unlikely to replace Pramod Sawant at this stage. It would have been a different matter had Mr. Sawant lost the seat. Again, despite Mr. Rane meeting the Governor, the latter hardly is the one to decide who will be the next Chief Minister,” a political analyst said.
Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has summoned the session of the Assembly for the new MLAs to take oath on Tuesday.
Mr. Pillai has already appointed BJP MLA Ganesh Gaonkar as the pro-tem Speaker to administer the oath to the newly-elected members. On Saturday last, he dissolved the Assembly with Mr. Sawant tendering his resignation as Chief Minister.
