Ending days of suspense, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday finally announced the name of Pramod Sawant for a second term as Goa Chief Minister. Sawant was elected as the leader of the legislative party following a meeting of all newly elected MLAs in the presence of Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who had been appointed observer by the BJP for Goa.
"I want to thank PM Narendra Modi and Union HM Amit Shah to have given me the opportunity to work as the CM of Goa for next 5 years. I am glad that the people of Goa have accepted me. I'll do everything possible to work for development of the state," Goa CM-designate Pramod Sawant told reporters in Panaji.
"Vishwajit Rane proposed the name of Pramod Sawant as the Leader of the Legislative Party. Everyone unanimously elected Sawant as the Leader. He will be the Leader of the Legislative Party for the next 5 years," said Narendra Singh Tomar.
The announcement was made after a crucial meeting of the BJP to elect a new Goa chief minister in Panaji this evening, 11 days after the ruling party emerged as the single largest political formation bagging 20 seats in the just held Assembly polls.
"I will work for infrastructure and human development in the state. PM Modi's vision will be taken forward in Goa. We will be meeting the Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai around 7pm today where decision about the swearing-in ceremony will be taken," Goa CM-designate Pramod Sawant said.
BJP's central observers Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan arrived here this afternoon to oversee the process to elect the leader of the BJP legislature party who will take over as next chief minister of the coastal state.
Newly elected MLAs of the BJP, which won 20 seats in the 40-member House, just one short of the majority mark, are taking part in the meeting at the party headquarters in the state capital.
The BJP has secured the support of two MLAs of the MGP and three Independent legislators, placing it comfortably in terms of numbers in the new Assembly.
After choosing the next chief minister, BJP leaders and MLAs are scheduled to meet Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai at the Raj Bhavan to stake a claim to form the new government.
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