In politics, perception is power. And today, the perception is clear — Dr. Pramod Sawant is no longer the reluctant Chief Minister operating under shadows; he is emerging as the decisive authority Goa’s political corridors have not seen since the towering presence of the late Manohar Parrikar.
The sacking of Govind Gaude from the Cabinet is not just a ministerial reshuffle, it is a loud and clear message from the Chief Minister that he is no longer willing to tolerate dissent within the ranks, especially when it threatens to portray the government as divided or vulnerable.
Sawant’s crisp assertion to the media, “I have taken the decision”, was less of an explanation and more of a declaration. For the first time in his tenure, he didn’t appear as someone merely executing Delhi’s orders; he appeared to be leading from the front.
The change didn’t happen overnight. We saw a glimpse of this newfound confidence when he stepped into the Goa Medical College (GMC) doctors’ strike crisis last week, a space he had typically left to Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.
For years, Sawant and Rane were known to be at odds, their strained relationship a poorly kept secret in Goa’s political landscape.
Cabinet meetings often became battlegrounds of passive resistance. But when Rane’s impulsive reprimanding of GMC Casualty CMO Dr. Kuttikar sparked an unprecedented doctors’ strike, Sawant didn’t just mediate, he seized the moment.
He entered the GMC with authority, met the agitating doctors, and handled the crisis with tact and firmness.
In doing so, he didn’t just resolve a sensitive situation; he subtly repositioned himself as the real helmsman of Goa’s administration. No longer a silent observer of Vishwajit Rane’s flamboyant style or political manoeuvring, Sawant showed who’s boss.
The Chief Minister’s actions in the past two weeks suggest a paradigm shift in Goa’s political power matrix.
For too long, he had been seen as the understudy to Parrikar, someone who was handed over the reins but not the real power. His critics often dismissed him as the CM installed by the BJP high command to merely fill the seat. But that narrative is fast changing.
Sawant today seems to enjoy both the confidence of Delhi and the fear-respect dynamic within his Cabinet.
That is a rare combination, and only a few leaders, like Parrikar, have managed to hold both. It’s not hard to see the resemblance.
Parrikar was known for cracking the whip when needed, and yet holding the support of the masses. Sawant, while not yet the mass leader that Parrikar was, has begun to exercise similar control over the political ecosystem.
Of course, this doesn’t mean his path ahead is free of hurdles. There are murmurs of discontent among certain sections of his own party and coalition.
Goa’s politics is a maze of egos, loyalties, and fragile alliances. If history has taught us anything, it’s that political fortunes in Goa can change overnight. But unlike the Sawant of 2019, the 2025 version seems more prepared for that battle.
Also noteworthy is the apparent green signal from Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah seem to have given him the space and the nod to assert himself.
And if the BJP leadership is trusting him with more autonomy, it only indicates that Sawant has passed a certain internal test of leadership.
As Sawant begins to rewrite the rules of engagement within his Cabinet and the state machinery, the real test will be in his delivery, on development, law and order, employment, and governance.
Confidence is good. But for it to translate into legacy, it must be backed by results.
Still, the political winds in Goa have unmistakably shifted. Dr. Pramod Sawant is no longer acting under someone’s script. He’s finally begun writing his own.
And if recent events are anything to go by, this might just be the beginning of Pramod Sawant 2.0 — Goa’s new power centre.
