Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is likely to expand his State Cabinet by inducting 3 Former Congress MLAs and one BJP Lawmaker. If reports to be believed, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is currently in Delhi, will fly back to Goa on Saturday morning.
The oath-taking ceremony will take place on Saturday, sources familiar with the development claimed.
Among those who are Top Contenders for the Cabinet Berth include Chandrakant Kavlekar, Babush Monserrate and Philip Neri Rodrigues. All three are former Congress legislators who joined BJP along with 7 others two days back. While from the BJP, Goa Deputy Speaker Micheal Lobo is the front runner for the cabinet berth, Sources claimed on Friday.
Micheal Lobo’s induction in the state cabinet is on cards for months. Speaking at Lobo’s birthday celebration last month, Chief Minister Sawant said Lobo will be given a bigger responsibility soon.
Sawant reportedly said, ‘Micheal Lobo will soon a get a bigger responsibility than he is handling currently’ He will soon get a chance to serve the people of Goa and not just his constituency’.
While earlier in the day, Lobo dropped hints of Cabinet reshuffling in the tiniest state. Micheal Lobo said the Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is unhappy with many Minister for taking things ‘for granted’.
READ: Goa Deputy Speaker Micheal Lobo drops hints of Cabinet reshuffle; says ‘CM unhappy with many Ministers’
As quoted by ANI, Micheal Lobo said, ‘Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will do the correction that is needed. After the merger of Congress MLAs with BJP. Chief Minister has made it clear that he is unhappy with the functioning of certain Ministers’.
The Cabinet Expansion is expected days after, 10 out of its 15 Congress MLAs in Goa shifted loyalties and merged with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Following the merger episode, Congress is now left with just 5 MLAs in the state where it was the single largest party after 2017 Assembly polls. While Bharatiya Janata Party has now 27 MLAs in 40-member Assembly.
After the merger Episode, Bharatiya Janata Party is now heading the government with 27 Legislators, Goa Forward Party has 3, MGP has one, while 3 are Independent MLAs.
While the opposition has now 6 MLAs – 5 from Indian National Congress and a lone from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
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