Four Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Indian National Congress (INC,) on the 13th of July, will be inducted into the Cabinet of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa.
Approximately 10 lawmakers of the INC in Goa resigned from the INC and switched to the BJP. Pramod Sawant, the Chief Minister of Goa, will induct 4 MLAs of the INC into his Cabinet.
The INC has a total of 15 lawmakers in Goa. With the resignation of the 10 legislators, the strength of the INC MLAs reduced to 5, which could be a bonus for the BJP, who will have 27 MLAs now.
The Goa Assembly has a total of 40 Assembly seats, out of which, the alliance of the BJP and the Goa Forward Party has a total of 27 MLAs, after the INC MLAs joined them.
Chandrakant Kavlekar, a former leader of the INC, will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister and the others will also get some key positions.
Mr. Sawant said, “I have asked three Goa Forward Party (GFP) ministers and Khaunte to resign from the cabinet. I have given them the instructions as per the orders from my high command.”
On the 12th of July, Pramod Sawant asked three legislators of the GFP, Vijai Sardesai, Vinod Palienkar and Jayesh Salgaocar to quit their posts to induct INC MLAs in the Cabinet. Sawant also asked Rohan Khanunted, an independent candidate, to resign.
Michael Lobo, the Deputy Speaker of the Goa Assembly, addressed NDTV and said, “Jennifer Monserrate, the wife of Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate, will be sworn in as minister, as will Filipe Nery Rodrigues.”
According to Mr. Lobo, he will be the fourth minister who will take oath as one of the Cabinet Ministers.
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The Cabinet expansion in Goa is scheduled to take place on the 13th of July at 3:00 P.M., at Raj Bhavan.
Stay tuned for further updates.
