In cabinet rejig, Goa CM asks 4 ministers to resign to make way for new faces

The four ministers— deputy CM Vijai Sardesai, Vinoda Paliencar, Jayesh Salgaocar of the GFP, and Rohan Khaunte, an independent MLA have been asked to resign.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday asked four ministers — three from the ally Goa Forward Party (GFP) and one independent — in his cabinet to put in their papers to make way for four new ministers.

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday asked four ministers — three from the ally Goa Forward Party (GFP) and one independent — in his cabinet to put in their papers to make way for four new ministers. (PTI Photo)

The four ministers— deputy CM Vijai Sardesai, Vinoda Paliencar, Jayesh Salgaocar of the GFP, and Rohan Khaunte, an independent MLA have been asked to resign. The swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers is tentatively scheduled for 3pm on Saturday.

The CM who was in Delhi on Friday told reporters that he had asked his cabinet colleagues to resign. “I have directed four ministers, three from the GFP and one Independent minister to resign as ministers as directed by the party High Command,” Sawant told reporters.

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Four new ministers — Chandrakant Kavlekar, who until Wednesday was the Leader of Opposition, current deputy speaker Michael Lobo, Jennifer Monserrate and Filipe Neri Rodrigues —will be sworn-in on Saturday.

“The GFP is part of the NDA and had joined the BJP-led state government after talks with the national leadership of the BJP. The present state BJP leaders were not part of the discussions then. We will take appropriate steps after talking with the central NDA leadership...we have received indications that the matter will be sorted out amicably,” the party said in a statement.

Earlier in the day deputy speaker Michael Lobo claimed that the decision to do away with the alliance partner GFP was because it was trying to armtwist the government.