Pramod Sawant-led BJP govt wins floor test in Goa Assembly with support of 20 MLAs

Pramod Sawant-led BJP government in Goa won the floor test in the state Assembly on Wednesday. While 20 MLAs voted in favour of newly elected chief minister Pramod Sawant, 15 voted against him.

The government claimed majority with the support of 21 MLAs -- 11 (excluding the protem Speaker) from the BJP, three each of allies Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independents. 

Ahead of the trust vote, Sawant had exuded confidence that he was 100 per cent confident of victory in the state Assembly.

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The strength of the 40-member House has been reduced to 36 due to the death of chief minister Manohar Parrikar, BJP MLA Francis D'Souza and resignations of two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte.

The Congress, which is the single largest party with 14 MLAs, had also staked claim to form the government. There is also an NCP legislator in the House.

Vote of confidence was held after condolence motions to honour former chief minister Manohar Parrikar, former Mapusa MLA Francis D'Souza and former deputy speaker Vishnu Surya Wagh were moved and later passed by the 36 member house.

Sawant was sworn in as the new chief minister of Goa just before 2 am Tuesday, after hectic parleys between the saffron party and its allies to put a new government in place in the state.

The governor also administered oath to 11 other ministers, including those from BJP's allies MGP and the GFP.

As per the power-sharing arrangement reached with allies, an MLA each from the two smaller parties backing the BJP will be made deputy chief minister. They are GFP chief Vijai Sardesai and MGP legislator Sudin Dhavalikar.

Ahead of assuming office as the chief minister on Tuesday, Sawant said that his priority would be to reach out to every person, and carry forward the "glorious legacy" of good governance left behind by Parrikar.

Sawant, a protege of Parrikar, was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly when he was picked to be the successor of Parrikar.

In the wake of the fluid political situation in Goa and Congress' repeated attempts to wrest power, the BJP leadership ensured that the new chief minister was in place quickly.

Parrikar died at his private residence Sunday evening due to pancreatic cancer. He was cremated with full state and military honours Monday evening.