An elected, not selected, CM, says Pramod Sawant as he takes oath

Only BJP MLAs inducted in first round of Cabinet formation. Three berths to be filled later

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and three–time MLA Dr. Pramod Sawant was sworn–in as Goa’s Chief Minister for the second time on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP guns at the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee stadium in Taleigao.

Mr. Sawant, who was first appointed CM of the coastal State following Manohar Parrikar’s untimely death in March 2019, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor P.S. Shreedharan Pillai along with eight other BJP MLAs who will be Ministers in the new Goa cabinet.

They include (in order of their swearing-in) Vishwajit Rane (Valpoi), Mauvin Godinho (Dabolim), ex–Chief Minister Ravi Naik (Ponda), Nilesh Cabral (Curchorem), Subhash Shirodkar (Shiroda), Rohan Khaunte (Porvorim), Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate (Panaji) and Govind Gaude (Priol).

Tellingly, only BJP MLAs were inducted in the first round of Cabinet formation despite rumours that one of the three independents (who had pledged unconditional support to the BJP after the March 10 results) or Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leader Sudin Dhavalikar could be part of the team.

The new “BJP 2.0” under Mr. Sawant, who took oath before a packed audience of more than 10,000 people, exuded confidence as the party received a decisive mandate (winning 20 of the 40 seats) as opposed to its performance in 2017, when it secured only 13 and formed the government by being ‘dependent’ on regional power brokers like the MGP and the Goa Forward Party (GFP).

“I’m not a ‘selected’ CM, but an ‘elected’ one,” said a jubilant Mr. Sawant soon after the swearing in. “I thank the central party leadership for giving me a chance again and reposing faith in me.”

Mr. Sawant had managed to retain his constituency Sanquelim after a hard–fought contest defeating his nearest challenger — Congress’ Dharmesh Saglani — by just 666 votes.