PANAJI
Manohar Parrikar was sworn in as the 28th Chief Minister of Goa along with nine other ministers as the BJP put up a show of strength at a crowded swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan courtyard on Tuesday even as protesters outside booed the visiting MLAs and dignitaries for ‘stealing the people’s mandate’.
The ceremony was witnessed by BJP’s National President Amit Shah, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu and others.
Besides Parrikar, who was sworn-in as the chief minister, nine other MLAs were sworn in as ministers including two from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) -- Ramkrishna Dhavalikar and Manohar Azgaonkar all the three elected MLAs from the Goa Forward Party -- Vijai Sardesai, Jayesh Salgaocar and Vinoda Paliencar besides also Independent MLAs Rohan Khaunte and Govind Gaude.
From the BJP only two other MLAs were sworn-in -- former Deputy Chief Minister Francisco Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar -- with two spots in the Cabinet still up for grabs.
Among the first statements Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar made was to protect the “speciality of Goa.”
“It has been for the cause of the development of the Goa and for Goa’s speciality, which in Goa we call Goenkarponn. To take this forward, and we are thankful for this support,” Parrikar said after thanking all those who made it to the Raj Bhavan for the swearing in.
Parrikar also claimed that it was the regional parties who wanted him back to Goa and that was a condition that they insisted before they offered support.
The brief ceremony was stifling and crowded, understandable given its hurried nature, but didn’t deter who’s who from the State from visiting. Among the State’s business class there were representatives of mining companies including Shivanand and Dattaraj Salgaocar, Shrinivas Dempo and Ambar Timblo of the Fomento group, representatives of Leading Hotels and Deltin Group’s Jaydev Mody and others.
Among those presented included losing BJP candidates Laxmikant Parsekar, Dayanand Mandrekar, Mahadev Naik and Rajendra Arlekar, Kiran Kandolkar, Vijay Pai Khot, Prakash Velip and others. Former tourism minister Dilip Parulekar was however, not seen in the crowd.
The lone NCP MLA Churchill Alemão too made his presence felt besides former minister Aleixo Sequeira.
