Ending all the suspense and chaos, Goa assembly speaker Pramod Sawant has been sworn in as the Goa chief minister. Sawant has succeeded Manohar Parrikar who died on Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer for a year.
Sawant was sworn in a little before 2 am on Tuesday. Earlier, it had been reported that he would be sworn in at 11 pm on Monday.
Ahead of Sawant being sworn in, he said the party had given him a big responsibility. He also credited late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for brining him into politics. “It is a very big responsibility that the party has given me. I will try my best to fulfill it. I am what I am today because of Manohar Parrikar,” he said.
All MLAs of the Congress, which is the single largest party in Goa, met the governor earlier on Monday and staked claim to form the government in the coastal state.
Sunil Kawthankar, Goa Congress said the party ‘strongly condemned the undemocratic action’ of Goa Governor Mridula Sinha for not allowing Congress to form the government. “We’re strongly condemning undemocratic action of Goa Governor Mridula Sinha for not allowing our single largest party to form the government and allowing BJP to carry on horse trading despite BJP not having sufficient numbers to form the govt,” he said as quoted by ANI.
Calling Goa Governor Mridula Sinha “an agent of the BJP”, Kawthankar said the day will be remembered as “darkest day in Indian democracy.” The state is without a legitimate government despite the Congress party being the single largest and staking claim to form government, he added.
Earlier on Monday, Goa gave a teary tribute to Parrikar as his body was cremated with full state honours. The final rites were performed with Vedic Hindu rituals as Parrikar’s son lit the pyre.
Source: Rediff