Parrikar promises stable government

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislative party leader Manohar Parrikar, who was sworn in as the 17th chief minister of Goa of the BJP-led coalition government in Dona Paula, yesterday promised Goa a stable government to serve the best interests of the state.

Parrikar, who had staked his claim to form the government following his party winning 17 of the total 40 seats contested for the Goa State Legislative Assembly on May 30, also chose another 12 elected representatives to be part of his council of ministers.

The portfolios for these 12 are to be allocated in due course.

This is the second time the technocrat-turned-politician is being inducted as the chief minister of Goa.

"The core group of 17 elected on the BJP ticket are stable people in public life who will not resort to manipulations. Once the main party is strong, then there should be no fears of the government falling," Parrikar promised immediately after taking oath in office.

"The expectations of the people are high and I am here to assure them that they will not be betrayed," added Parrikar, an engineer in Metallurgy from the prestigious IIT Powai.

The 17 BJP representatives have been given a boost by two MLAs each from the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and an independent candidate who was supported by the BJP during elections, thus taking the strength of the BJP to 22 on the floor of the House.

All five supporters have been given ministerial berths in the new cabinet.

Two of three elected UGDP candidates, Mickky Pacheco and Atanasio Monsserate, voiced their support for the BJP immediately after they were elected. The third UGDP candidate Mathany Saldanha, who has been voted to power from the Cortalim constituency, is yet to give his overt support either to the Congress party or the BJP.

MGP MLAs Sudhin Dhavlikar and Pandurang Madkaikar said that they would follow the UGDP.

Filipe Neri Rodrigues, an independent, supports the BJP.

Prominent among those present at the swearing in were Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan, former chief minister Dr Wilfred de Souza, tipped to be the new Speaker and leader of opposition Pratapsingh Rane amidst an array of BJP supporters.