‘Confident’ Goa CM Pramod Sawant claims support of 21 MLAs ahead of floor test

Just a day ahead of the floor test, newly appointed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that he is confident of proving majority in the state Assembly. Sawant, who took charge after paying a courtesy visit to the family of his predecessor late Manohar Parrikar, said that his party has the support of 21 legislators. “We have 21 MLAs, we will pass the floor test tomorrow. Our coalition partners are with us,” Sawant was quoted as saying by ANI.

45-year-old Sawant who was sworn in as Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, heads a coalition government which has 12 legislators of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), three each from the Goa Forward and MGP, and three independent MLAs, taking the tally of the treasury benches to 21 in the 36-member state legislative assembly.

The two-time MLA from Sankhalim in North Goa, Sawant, who was Speaker of the state Assembly, is a dedicated RSS worker.

His elevation to the top post in the coastal state followed hectic parleys between the BJP and its alliance partners. Sawant's political career began in the BJP as a youth leader. A staunch Parrikar supporter, he had worked closely with the late leader.

He won the 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections from North Goa's Sankhalim constituency, which used to be a Congress stronghold.

He was among the few BJP MLAs who got re-elected in their constituencies during the state polls two years ago when the party managed to win only 13 seats as compared to 21 in the 2012 elections. When Parrikar cobbled up an alliance with the Goa Forward Party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Independents in 2017 despite the Congress being the single largest party, Sawant was elected the Assembly Speaker.

Sawant holds a Bachelor's Degree in Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery from Ganga Education Society's Ayurvedic College in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. His wife Sulakshana heads the BJP Mahila Morcha in Goa.

With PTI Inputs