Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 13
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today dropped three members of ally Goa Forward Party (GFP) and an Independent legislator as ministers and inducted four new ministers in his Cabinet.
The development gives Sawant and the BJP complete control of the state where two years ago it formed the government with the help of now-redundant — the GFP, the MGP and Independents.
Former leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, former Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo and Jeniffer Monserratte, wife of Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserratte, were among the four new ministers inducted into the Cabinet. Ten Congress MLAs had on Wednesday joined the BJP, increasing the strength of the party to 27 in the 40-member House.
Kavlekar has been appointed the Deputy CM in place of GFP leader Vijai Sardesai. The fourth MLA to be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Goa Governor Mridula Sinha was Filipe Neri Rodrigues.
This is the second Cabinet reshuffle by Sawant since he took over as CM three months ago after the death of Manohar Parrikar. In the first reshuffle, Sawant inducted Depak Pauskar after dropping the then Deputy CM Sudin Dhavalikar of the MGP after two of his MLAs joined the BJP. On why allies were being dropped, Sawant said the decision was taken as per the directives of the central leadership.
‘Treat us better’
- After being dropped as Deputy CM, Vijai Sardesai, leader of GFP, an NDA ally, said his party deserved a better treatment
- “The present BJP leaders were not there when the alliance was made. We will talk to the BJP’s central leadership and decide the next step,” Sardesai said
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2SbVQ8S
via Today’s News Headlines
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