Panaji. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday met Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, who appointed him as caretaker chief minister until ‘alternative arrangements’ were made.
The BJP won 20 seats in the recent state assembly elections, just one short of the majority.
After handing over the appointment order to Sawant, Pillai told reporters, “Unless alternative arrangements are made through the process, I will appoint him as the caretaker chief minister as governor.”
The Governor also congratulated Sawant for his tenure as the Chief Minister of the coastal state.
Sawant said that he would take over as caretaker chief minister till the government formation process is completed.
“Today I have submitted my resignation as chief minister. He (Governor Pillai) has accepted the resignation and after accepting it, he appointed me as caretaker chief minister, that is till further decision,” Sawant said.
Elaborating on the delay in the swearing-in ceremony of a cabinet in Goa, he said, “Swearing-in is scheduled in four states (where BJP has won). No decision has been taken in this regard at the Center yet. After the decision, the dates of all the states will be finalized and the swearing-in will take place in all the four states.
Asked when the party observer is expected to visit Goa to complete the formalities, Sawant said, “We don’t know who is going to come or when? When the central party takes a decision, we will inform you.”
However, the BJP has already received letters of support from five Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLAs, three independent candidates and two MLAs.
The Congress fared poorly with 11 seats and its ally Goa Forward Party won just one.
—AnyTV News
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