Decks cleared for Sawant's appointment as Goa CM?

Panaji: Decks appear to have been cleared for Goa's caretaker Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to continue as the Chief Minister of the state, with a senior state BJP leader stating that Sawant's name has been cleared after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

Sawant, who appeared to have been facing competition from Vishwajit Rane, the Health Minister in Sawant's previous stint as CM from 2019-22, met Prime Minister Modi in the national capital on Wednesday, along with state BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade and the party's national General Secretary in-charge of Goa, C.T. Ravi.

While BJP officials in Goa were unwilling to come on record, a senior party leader said that Sawant's name would be officially announced by the party's central leadership soon.

Some members of the new cabinet are also expected to be sworn-in after the Holi festivities, the BJP leader said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting with the Prime Minister and BJP's national President J.P. Nadda, Sawant said: "I met the PM and the national President. I came to meet them after the election results. The decision will be announced after Holi."

He, however, refused to answer questions as to whether his credentials for the CM's post were endorsed by the Prime Minister.

BJP central leader and Union Minister for Agriculture, Narendra Singh Tomar, is also expected to arrive in Goa over the next few days to convene a meeting of the BJP's newly-elected MLAs in order to chaperone the nomination of the party's leader of the House.

BJP emerged as the single largest party with 20 seats, just one short of a majority mark. The party has received letters of unconditional support from three Independent MLAs and two members of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).