Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday inducted two veteran politicians into the Goa cabinet, thus completing the full strength of the 12-member council of ministers. Sworn in at Cabo Raj Niwas, the residence of Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapati, the Governor administered the oath of office and secrecy to former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and ex-Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar in Konkani.
Digambar Kamat Returns After 13 Years
It is such a huge turn-around in political fortunes for Digambar Kamat after a 13-yearे long on hold from ministerial work. Kamat, first inducted into Manohar Parrikar’s cabinet in 2000, is a member of Congress and assumed office as Goa’s Chief Minister in 2007, which surprisingly completed a five-year session-the only one in Goa’s history. Kamat expressed gratitude for the opportunity saying he looks more than forward to working harder for the welfare of Goans by leveraging on the experience he has gained over the years.
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Alongside his return, Kamat’s political life has been nothing but fraught with legal tussles. His name had appeared in both the Louis Berger bribery case and in an illegal mining probe report that alleged, among other things, that the losses in tens of thousands of crores were incurred by the state’s coffers. Earlier this year, he was discharged from the case, opening the door to his return as minister.
Rejoins Cabinet
Ramesh Tawadkar was also reinduced into the cabinet after serving as Minister for Sports, Youth Affairs and Tribal Welfare under Manohar Parrikar and then under Laxmikant Parsekar. Tawadkar had quit the BJP in 2017 after not being given a ticket and unsuccessfully contested as an independent before rejoining the party and being elected Speaker in 2022. Earlier Thursday, he resigned as Speaker after a tenure characterized by consensus and respect across party lines. Portfolios are expected to be similar to those held during his former ministerial term.
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The long-anticipated cabinet reshuffle was the result of extensive consultations between the state and central BJP leadership. Notable absentees at the swearing-in included former ministers Govind Gaude, Michael Lobo and Delilah Lobo. Meanwhile, BJP is to nominate Ganesh Gaonkar as the expected new Speaker; however, the opposition has yet to finalize its candidate.
With this expansion, Sawant’s government strengthens its experienced core, balancing political continuity with strategic appointments, while preparing for the next phase of governance in Goa.
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