Goa Floor Test LATEST updates: New Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant has won the confidence motion with support of 20 MLAs. This means that BJP has passed the floor test at the Goa Assembly. Fifteen of the 35 MLAs in the Assembly had opposed the move.
Pramod Sawant broke down repeatedly in the course of his speech on his mentor and political guru Manohar Parrikar. The House then observed silence for the three departed leaders.
Speaker Michael Lobo has urged MLAs to keep their speeches within the bounds of time. Goa Forward Party Vijai Sardesai and BJP MLA Manohar Ajgaonkar have both held forth on the former chief minister's legacy. Sardesai also spoke on the popularity of Francis D'Souza.
Churchill Alemao, former chief minister of Goa, in his speech during the Condolence Motion in the House highlighted the role Parrikar played while carrying out his various responsibilities, including that as a sports minister of Goa.
Dabolim MLA and BJP leader Mauvin Godinho and independent Priol MLA Govind Gaude have both set off Assembly proceedings with speeches that focus on remembering Manohar Parrikar and his role in the state.
Assembly proceedings have begun in Goa for the crucial floor test of Pramod Sawant, who was sworn in as new Goa chief minister on Tuesday.
All of the 36 MLAs of the Goa assembly have arrived at the venue for the floor test, reported Indian Express. The MLAs who are now waiting for Governor Mridula Sinha include ailing minister Pandurang Madkaikar. In 2018, Madkaikar had suffered a brain stroke in Mumbai.
Ahead of the crucial floor test of his government, Goa chief minister and BJP leader Pramod Sawant repeated that he was confident of victory. "We have 100 per cent confidence that we will win," he said, while heading into the Assembly.
Pramod Sawant has said that he will not be accepting congratulatory messages or flowers in the light of the fact that Goa is in mourning over the death of its former chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
There will be two deputy chief ministers in Pramod Sawant's government. The new chief minister has named Vijay Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party and Sudin Dhavalikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, appeasing two of its key coalition allies.
TV channels are reporting that Goa BJP lawmakers have been moved to a five-star resort ahead of the Floor test in the Goa Assembly where the newly-appointed chief minister Pramod Sawant will prove his government's majority. According to NDTV, the BJP has moved its lawmakers to a five-star hotel to secure its numbers ahead of the trust vote.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant will take a floor test on Wednesday to prove his majority in the Assembly, a day after he was sworn-in in a post-midnight ceremony. Ahead of the trust vote, the BJP has moved its legislators to a five-star hotel ahead of the trust vote, NDTV reported. However, Sawant expressed confidence that they would win the trust vote "100 percent".
Governor Mridula Sinha has convened a special session of the Assembly at 11.30 am to enable the chief minister to prove his majority in the House, reports said.
Goa's new chief minister Pramod Sawant taking oath at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. Screengrab from ANI Twitter
The ruling coalition has 21 legislators — 12 from the BJP, three each of allies Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three independents. While the Opposition Congress has 14 lawmakers. The strength of the 40-member house has been reduced to 36 after the death of two lawmakers and the resignation of two Congress lawmakers.
As per the power-sharing arrangement reached by the BJP with allies, an MLA each from the two smaller parties backing the saffron party — GFP chief Vijai Sardesai and MGP's Sudin Dhavalikar — were made deputy chief minister. And besides Sawant, Sardesai and Dhavalikar, the others who were sworn in were: Mauvin Godinho, Vishwajit Rane, Milind Naik and Nilesh Cabral(all BJP), Palekar and Jayesh Salgaonkar(both GFP), Manohar Ajgaonkar(MGP) and Independent MLAs Rohan Khaunte and Govind Gawade.
Sawant said: "I will try to ensure that the alliance remains intact. I will deal with people the way Parrikar used to," expressing confidence that his government will complete its tenure. He said ministers sworn along with him would be allocated portfolios soon. The state government will build a memorial in Parrikar's name at Panaji's Miramar Beach, he added.
BJP president Amit Shah and Union minister Nitin Gadkari played a critical behind-the-scenes role in ensuring that the party retained power in Goa. The impasse over government formation, which included dealing with stubborn allies wanting to extract their pound of flesh, was resolved with deft handling of the situation by the two senior BJP leaders, PTI reported.
