the goan I network
PANAJI
Canacona legislator Isidore Fernandes, who was part of the recent ten-MLA switch-over from the Opposition Congress to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to be declared elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Goa legislative assembly.
The nomination of Fernandes was the only one received by the office of the Speaker, Rajesh Patnekar when the deadline ended on Wednesday.
The post had fallen vacant after Michael Lobo who held it since 2017 was inducted into the cabinet by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant along with Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, Jennifer Monserrate and Filipe Neri Ferrao.
Sawant inducted the four new ministers on July 13 after he sacked former deputy chief minister Vijai Sardesai and three others.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, there were reports that the Congress-led Opposition would field Curtorim MLA, Aleixo Reginald Lourenco as its candidate for the Deputy Speaker’s post but Lourenco himself told the media in the afternoon that they would not be contesting as the numbers were not favourable.
