Pramod Sawant becomes Goa Chief Minister for 2nd term

Panaji: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Sawant was on Monday sworn-in as Goa Chief Minister for second term at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium near here.

Eight other BJP MLAs were also sworn-in as ministers of his cabinet. They included Vishwajit Rane, Mauvin Godinho, Ravi Naik, Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Shirodkar, Rohan Khaunte, Govidn Gaude and Atanasio Monserrate.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari, BJP national president JP Nadda, Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Haryana CM Mohan Lal Khattar among others.

Sawant, who represents Sanquelim constituency in the state assembly, had succeeded then-Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in 2019 after his demise.

Sawant was elected as an MLA from Sanquelim constituency for the consecutively third term this year. He defeated Dharmesh Saglani of Congress.

The event was held at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at Taleigao. This was the second time that the swearing-in of a CM was held outside the Raj Bahavan.

Earlier, Manohar Parrikar was sworn-in as CM outside the Raj Bahavan in 2012.

The BJP came to power in the state consecutively for the third term. It won 20 out of the 40 seats it contested while being supported by three independents and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which has two MLAs. (UNI)