PANAJI
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 3.0 oath-taking ceremony, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and North Goa MP-elect Shripad Naik left for Delhi on Thursday to be a part of a crucial National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting scheduled to be held at the BJP headquarters in Delhi today (Friday).
The 240 newly elected MPs along with the CMs of BJP-ruled States will meet to formally elect Modi as the Chairperson of the BJP parliamentary board and to reportedly discuss alliance strategies.
Naik, elected for a record sixth term, is expected to be promoted to Cabinet Minister, moving up from his previous Minister of State position. However, the State party leaders are tight-lipped given that it will be a Modi-led alliance government this time.
“We have no information about the cabinet status of any MP-elect. The formation of the government with the alliance partners needs to be settled first, and cabinet ranks are the PM Modi’s prerogative,” a senior leader told 'The Goan', reacting to speculation about Naik’s inclusion in the cabinet.
Naik had to settle for the position of MoS for various portfolios since 2014, but this time, he is likely to be promoted to the rank of Cabinet Minister. The party leader reiterated that the final decisions will depend on how many ministerial posts have to be allocated to coalition parties.
Meanwhile, the State BJP leaders have shot back at the INDI bloc’s speculation about the possible collapse of the Goa government against the backdrop of a decline in seats for BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“We will win all 20 seats in North Goa in the 2027 assembly polls. In the next 3-4 months, the INDI alliance will itself collapse,” ex-MLA Dayanand Sopte said at a press conference on Thursday. Spokesperson Giriraj Pai Vernekar also took a dig at AAP for losing Delhi.
