Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant retained the Public Works Department (PWD) portfolio and gave Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira the portfolios of Environment and Climate Change, Law and Judiciary, Captain of Ports, and Legislative Affairs three days after Sequeira was sworn in as a minister in the state cabinet.
Sequeira vowed to do his best to live up to the people’s expectations.
When questioned about his conversation with the Chief Minister about portfolios following the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, Sequeira responded, “If I were the CM, I would have chosen the portfolio I wanted.” It is his right to do so. [In the past] I served as the Environment and Power Ministers.In addition, I had the incredibly fascinating position of Minister of Printing and Stationary.
Sequeira was one of the eight MLAs who defected from the Congress to the BJP in September 2022. Former PWD minister Nilesh Cabral tendered his resignation from the cabinet on Sunday to make room for Sequeira. Additionally, Cabral held the positions of Legislative Affairs, Environment and Climate Change, and Law and Judiciary.
Sawant had stated that he asked Cabral to step down for the benefit of the party and that a cabinet position was a “promise” and a “commitment” given to Sequeira upon Sequeira’s party membership. There had been much talk for several months about a potential cabinet reshuffle to make room for some of the eight “turncoat” MLAs, such as Sequeira, Margao MLA and former chief minister Digambar Kamat, and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
Sequeira declared on Sunday that “I am confident BJP will win both in North and South Goa in the polls.”
In September of last year, Sequiera and seven other party MLAs defected to the BJP from the Congress.