Three-time MLA Pramod Sawant, who led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win 20 seats in the recently concluded elections to the 40-member Goa Assembly, will be sworn as the state’s chief minister for the second time on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, an official said on Sunday. The swearing-in ceremony would be held at Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee stadium near here at 11 am. Prime Minister Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would be present at the function, a government spokesperson said.
More than 10,000 people are likely to attend the event at the stadium, and the swearing-in ceremony will also be broadcast across the coastal state through various news channels. The BJP has so far been silent on the number of other cabinet ministers to be sworn in on Monday. Sawant said on Sunday morning, “You will come to know about it tomorrow. Right now, I don’t know how many ministers would be sworn in.” Besides chief minister, the Goa cabinet can have 11 more ministers. This would be the second time that Goa’s chief minister will be sworn in outside the Raj Bhavan premises. In 2012, Manohar Parrikar had taken oath as the CM at Campal ground in the state capital Panaji after the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the House.
Meanwhile, Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has summoned a two-day session of the new Assembly from 29 March during which Sawant will have to seek a vote of confidence, officials earlier said. A new Speaker would also be elected during the session, which is expected to complete a range of legislative business, including passing of bills and a vote-on-account (an exercise to deal with short-term expenditure needs of government), they said. In the recently concluded state polls, the BJP won 20 seats, one short of the majority in the 40-member House. Three independent MLAs and two legislators of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party have extended support to the BJP. Sawant (48) is an MLA from Sankhalim in North Goa. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly when the BJP formed its government under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar in 2017. He was sworn-in as the chief minister for the first time in March 2019 after Parrikar’s death.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened in the state ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on Monday. Over 2,000 police personnel have been deployed for the swearing-in ceremony. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Goa Director-General of Police (DGP) Indradev Shukla informed that a multi-tier security cover has been put in place for Sawant’s swearing-in ceremony which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of different states. Security cover has been put up at the stadium where the main event will take place and also at INS Hansa and Airport in Dabolim where VVIPs will arrive. “Over 2,000 personnel have been deployed, drones to be used to maintain vigil in the sky. Specialized teams have been called in from outside the state. Indian Navy, Indian Coast Gaurd, along with Goa Coastal Police, will man the 105 kilometres stretch of Goa coast,” he said. The DGP further informed that a black dress and a black face mask is not allowed for anybody who is going to attend the event. Earlier, the BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade also confirmed this development.