Race for Goa chief minister's post intensifies

Goa assembly speaker Rajendra Arlekar, deputy chief minister Francis D'Souza and health minister Laxmikant Parsekar are hot contenders for the chief minister's job.

Goa assembly speaker Rajendra Arlekar, deputy chief minister Francis D'Souza and health minister Laxmikant Parsekar are hot contenders for the chief minister's job.

This comes after speculation that the incumbent CM Mahohar Parrikar may be promoted as a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's team very soon.

Parrikar was summoned to New Delhi on Wednesday. Sources said he could be given the charge of defence ministry which finance minister Arun Jaitley has been holding since the new government came to power.

"Arlekar and Parsekar are the real front-runners," said Sagar Javdekar, a veteran journalist in Goa.

Arlekar, 60, represents Pernem segment, while Parsekar, 58, comes from Mandrem. D'Souza,60, who represents Mapusa, courted controversy early this year when he said India was already a Hindu nation. He apologised later for his remark.

Sources in BJP said the party did not fear rebellion from its MLAs because the trend has been to defect to the party in power. "Since we are in power in the Centre and state as well, the 40-member house will not see any turmoil," said the leader, requesting anonymity.

Parrikar is Modi's blue-eyed boy and was tipped to be one of the minister's in the PM's first team.

His loyalty to the RSS and BJP - he is in the assembly since 1999 and got the BJP in power despite shaky political situations in Goa - is expected to land him a plum ministry where his techno-savvy upbringing could be put to use.