BJP Pramod Sawant Next Goa CM, Two Allies Bag Deputy Post

Panaji, Goa: The race to become chief minister in the state had begun way before the former CM Manohar Parrikar’s demise.

BJP’s Pramod Sawant willl be the new chief minister of Goa, party sources said Monday.

Two MLAs from the BJP alliance partners will be made deputy chief ministers as part of the compromise reached with allies, they said.

The final call on next Goan CM comes from officials after much hustle-bustle amid politics and grief. The negotiations between the BJP and its allies ultimately went the centre’s way.

The BJP managed to break the deadlock in Goa, offering key allies their pound of flesh, by accepting their demand for deputy CM’s posts.

Sawant is now Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly. He will succeed Manohar Parrikar who died Sunday.

The two would-be Dy CMs are Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai and MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar.

“We have managed to convince the alliance partners and finalised the formula of two deputy chief ministers for the state, a senior BJP functionary said.

The swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held at 11 pm on Monday, he said.

Parrikar, a BJP stalwart and first ever IIT’ian to be in the state assembly was suffering from pancreatic cancer, who despite major setbacks health-wise worked responsibly as the CM until his last breath.

(with inputs from PTI)

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