PANAJI
Nearly a week after results to Assembly elections were declared, there is still no clarity on the next chief minister of the State and speculations are rife on whether Pramod Sawant will retain his position as chief minister or if the BJP high command will opt for a new chief minister.
Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony of MLAs in the Assembly, Sawant along with BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade rushed to New Delhi, where they were scheduled to have meetings with national leaders, including BJP National President J P Nadda, ahead of the formation of a new government in the State.
Late night reports said, a meeting of top BJP leaders was underway at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence in New Delhi.
Apart from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda and the party's National General Secretary (Organisation), B L Santhosh were attending the meeting.
According to sources, leaders from Manipur, Uttarakhand and Goa have been called to discuss the names of chief ministers in these States and of MLAs who would be inducted in the new Cabinet.
Sawant is also expected to have a one-on-one meet with Prime Minister and other senior leaders including central observer for Goa Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan.
Earlier, speaking to reporters after the swearing-in ceremony, Sawant said the party’s central observers were likely to arrive in Goa by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, speculations intensified when Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Arlekar held a series of meetings with President Ramnath Kovind and party leaders like Amit Shah and J P Nadda on Tuesday.
While the purpose of Arlekar’s meetings was not known, the timing of the former minister’s meetings with the president and party leaders when the BJP is yet to name its chief minister led many to wonder if the party was considering a new face as chief minister.
The name of Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Arlekar has been kept on standby if the Goa leadership issue is not resolved soon, disclosed a source while speaking on conditions of anoynimity.
The BJP central leadership is trying to resolve the ticklish Goa issue and have come up with a Plan B, stated the source.
The BJP on Monday had appointed Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister of State for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry L Murugan as observer and co-observer respectively for the election of the leader of BJP’s legislative party.
Meanwhile, Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane sought to dispel rumours about a tussle in the BJP over the CM’s post and insisted that all BJP MLAs are united.
Speaking in the Assembly complex, he said, "our Central leadership will decide who will be the CM. There are no camps in BJP over the next chief minister.”
His wife and Poriem MLA Deviya Rane said she was not staking claim for ministry.
“If the party feels I am worthy, I will get a Cabinet berth,” she said.
