Refrains from reasons, rules out immediate cabinet reshuffle; BJP chief says decisions are taken in party’s interest
PANAJI
A day after sacking Govind Gaude from his State cabinet, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that the decision was solely his own, while refraining from divulging specific reasons.
In a late evening development on Goa Revolution Day on Wednesday, Sawant removed Art and Culture and Sports Minister Gaude from the cabinet.
The decision arose following Gaude's outspoken allegations of corruption within the Tribal Welfare Department, which is under the Chief Minister himself. The accusation had stirred political tension within the ruling party with the BJP reacting sharply.
“It is my decision,” Sawant told media persons, after initially dodging the question.
Sawant, however, ruled out immediate full-scale cabinet reshuffle or plans to fill the vacant cabinet berth.
“Nothing is decided for now…will let u all know,” he said when asked about when the new Minister would be inducted.
Gaude has actively served as cabinet Minister from 2019-2022 and from 2022 till June 18, 2025.
Despite being the first-time MLA, winning as an Independent in 2017 from Priol Assembly constituency, he went on to become the Minister in Manohar Parrikar’s cabinet. He continued as a minister in Sawant’s cabinet after the death of Parrikar in 2019.
In January 2022, Gaude resigned from Sawant’s cabinet and as an Independent MLA to join the BJP. After joining the BJP, he was allotted a party ticket to contest the 2022 Assembly election where he won and was retained in the cabinet.
BJP Goa President Damodar Naik said that “some decisions need to be taken in the interest of the party”.
He said that the party will not tolerate any indiscipline or something that goes against its ideology and hence had been reviewing the performance of the Ministers and MLAs. “We had submitted report cards of everyone to the high command. Our only intention is to see that their failures don’t impact the party's image. People have faith in BJP and our action should reflect that,” Naik said.
Refusing to comment on further cabinet reshuffle, Naik said that it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. “Cabinet related decisions are made by the Chief Minister in consultation with the party high command,” he said.
