Goa CM Pramod Sawant faces tough test over picking cabinet members

Handpicked in 2019 by the then Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar as his successor, Pramod Sawant, at the time the Speaker of the state Assembly, had his task pretty much cut out because the hand that blessed his credentials was the same hand which had guided the Goa BJP's destiny for nearly three decades.

In 2022, however, despite leading the BJP to a win in the state Assembly polls, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's political battles do not appear to have ended.

Sawant had to fight off challengers to the throne this time round, in the form of his former Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and former Health Minister Vishwajit Rane. While Godinho let go his ambitions in a rather meek manner, it took a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 20 to hammer out the differences between Sawant and Rane and clear the former's path to the chief minister's chair once again.

Read | PM Modi may be in for a surprise at Pramod Sawant's swearing-in ceremony in Goa

With just one day to go for the swearing-in ceremony of the Sawant cabinet, the current challenge before the Chief Minister would be the selection of the knights at his government table.

The Goa cabinet is capped at 12 members (including the chief minister) and according to BJP sources, the Chief Minister is not expected to fill up all the ministerial slots on March 28 itself.

BJP national general secretary CT Ravi has already hinted at more opposition MLAs switching their support to the treasury benches in the near future and a few cabinet berths are expected to be left vacant just to draw in additional support to the 25-MLA strong ruling apparatus in the 40-member state legislative assembly.

"The government currently enjoys the support of 25 MLAs. 20 from the BJP and five including independents and MGP. In the house, at the time of proving majority, we could get more support. This is the situation," Ravi said earlier this week.

Sawant's foremost challenge would be the allocation of portfolios to his chief in-house rival Rane.

The ambitious son of former Congress Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane, switched from the Congress to the BJP in 2017 and had openly defied and virtually challenged Sawant's leadership during the Covid pandemic, when differences between the two BJP leaders spilled out in the open.

Party sources said that during the meeting with Shah, Rane, after being told to accept Sawant's leadership, had made a pitch for a ministry more prestigious than the Health Ministry, which he had previously held from 2017-2022.

Rane may be tipped for the lucrative Finance or Public Works Department portfolios, according to a senior BJP leader, who added that the call would be dependent on how the BJP decides to factor in the support of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and its two MLAs. The leader of the MGP legislature party Sudin Dhavalikar has held the PWD portfolio on numerous occasions under both Congress and BJP-led alliances over two decades.

While the MGP could be considered surplus to the BJP's requirement to form a government right now, the regional party's support may be critical to the BJP's success in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Party sources said that a first-time elected independent MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye, a well known eye specialist who has supported the BJP-led coalition, may be given the Health Ministry portfolio, while another independent MLA, a former Congress legislator Aleixo Reginaldo may also be included in the Pramod Sawant cabinet.

The Chief Minister is expected to hold key portfolios like Home, Finance, Education, etc, while the party's MLA from Shiroda Subhash Shirodkar may be the BJP's candidate for the Speaker's post.

The other MLAs who are likely to be sworn-in during the first round on March 28, could include former Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, former Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte, former Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude, former Power Minister Nilesh Cabral and former Congress Chief Minister and now BJP MLA Ravi Naik.

According to the BJP's Goa poll in-charge Devendra Fadnavis it is the High Command which aids the Chief Ministers when it comes to cabinet formation, but according to Sawant the decisions have yet to be made.

"That will be decided later. How can I tell you this now," he said.

State BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade said that he was not aware if all 11 ministers would be sworn in along with the CM on March 28.

"We do not know yet. That is the CM's right. Whether it will be at a time or phase wise, a decision has not been made yet," he said.

Check out the latest DH videos here: