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Goa CM Sawant expands cabinet, inducts 3 new ministers
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP)’s Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar and BJP leaders Subhash Phas Dessai and Nilkanth Halarnkar were sworn in as ministers in the Pramod Sawant cabinet by Goa governor PS Sreedharan at 12 noon.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday expanded his cabinet with the induction of three ministers, taking the total strength of the cabinet to the maximum possible at 12.
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP)’s Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar and BJP leaders Subhash Phas Dessai and Nilkanth Halarnkar were sworn in as ministers by governor PS Sreedharan at 12 noon.
Three independent MLAs who backed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form government in Goa earlier this year failed to get a berth in the state cabinet.
Dhavalikar was a minister in the Manohar Parrikar-led as well as Sawant-led governments between 2017 till 2019 before he was dropped ahead of the last Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP leadership agreed to induct Dhavalikar despite vocal protestations from a section of the BJP MLAs that the MGP should be kept out of the cabinet, largely to secure his support for the Lok Sabha polls where the BJP is eying both seats in 2024, people aware of the developments said.
“Congratulations to the ministers sworn in my Cabinet today, I am sure they will carry out their responsibility with honesty and care in service of the people and State,” Sawant said after the swearing-in. He added that the distribution of portfolios to the newly inducted ministers could take a while.
Sawant has given no indication yet over when the ministers will be handed portfolios, but most of the key departments have already been handed out to ministers.
State BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade said that decisions regarding the induction of ministers were taken at the central level.
“Since we are a national party, some decisions have been taken at the national level. Since there were 20 elected BJP MLAs it was felt that the maximum ministerial berths should be reserved for those from the BJP itself. There were caste and regional calculations as well,” Tanavade said.
Dhavalikar said he was willing to accept any portfolio allocated to him by the chief minister.
“It is the prerogative of the chief minister. I have even performed with portfolios like the Archives. Any department gave to me, and I will perform,” Dhavalikar said.
