He may have been the protege of Manohar Parrikar, but for Goa's new chief minister Pramod Sawant, walking into the footsteps of ever-smiling charasmatic leader will not be an easy task.
Dr Sawant, a two-time MLA from Sanquelim (Sankhali) in North Goa, who was the speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, the road ahead is full of challenges.
The 46-year-old Ayurveda doctor - got catapulted to the top post because he was a Parrikar loyalist, young, has a clean image and most importantly a Sangh background and close association with BJP's parent body.
Like Parrikar, he too as a man next door image and he speaks the language of the common man and is non-controversial so far.
During the illness of Parrikar, he had represnted the chief minister in various functions.
He was also on New Delhi by his sode when Parrikar was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
"In have taken charge as chief minister with utmost humility and sense of gratitude towards my idol and mentor Manohar bhai.....I look forward to your blessings and supoort in carrying ahead the glorious legacy of committment towards good governance...," Dr Sawant wrote on Facebook and Twitter, after he was sworn in as Goa chief minister.
Born on 24 April, 1973, to Pandurang and Padmini Sawant, he is a Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery from Ganga Education Society's Ayurveda Medical College in Kolhapur and Master of Social Work from Tilak Maharashtra University in Pune.
His wife, Sulakshana teaches chemistry in Shri Shantadurga Higher Secondary School in Bicholim and she is the president of BJP mahila morcha's Goa unit.
Dr Sawant is actively involved in social work and loves reading and travelling.
He took the oath in Konkani, his mother tongue. He is fluent in Marathi and English.
He is also a member of the Central Council of Indian Medicine and Goa Board of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy.
The new CM is also the president of Goa Youth Club Federation.
He is a former chairman of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation, a special purpose vehicle set up by Parrikar to take up various infrastructure works in the tiny coastal state.
NEW CABINET
Chief Minister: Dr Pramod Sawant (BJP)
Deputy Chief Ministers:
Sudin Ramkrishna Dhavalikar (MGP)
Vijai Sardesai (GFP)
Ministers:
Vishwajeet Rane (BJP)
Milind Naik (BJP)
Nilesh Cabral (BJP)
Mauvin Godinho (BJP)
Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar (MGP)
Vinod Palyekar (GFP)
Jayesh Salgaonkar (GFP)
Rohan Khaunte (Ind)
Govind Gaude (Ind)
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