CM Sawant expands cabinet; Sudin, Nilkanth & Phaldesai inducted as ministers
None of the three independents who extended support got Cabinet berths
Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Sanguem BJP MLA Subhash Phaldesai, Thivim BJP MLA Nilkanth Halarnkar and MGP Marcaim MLA Ramakrishna Dhavalikar were inducted as cabinet ministers in the Pramod Sawant led BJP government.
The oath-taking ceremony took place at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Governor P.S Sreedharan Pillai and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.
All the three MLAs took their oath as a minister in the Marathi language.
Two-time Sanguem MLA Phaldesai was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the state legislative assembly on March 30. However, as the party finalised his name for a cabinet berth, Phaldesai resigned from the post of Deputy Speaker this morning.
Initially, the Bharatiya Janata Party considered LAeixo Reginald Lourenco for a berth as he extended his support to the party.
But it is learnt that keeping the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in mind, the party decided against inducting him into the cabinet.
Further, MGP Supremo Sudin Dhavalikar managed to get a cabinet berth despite the stiff opposition from BJP MLA and other karayakartas.
“I cannot speak anything on which portfolio I will be alloted. It is the decision of the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant; I will work with 100 per cent capacity in any ministry I get in the government,” said Sudin.
BJP had dropped Dhavalikar from the cabinet on two occasions — first in 2016 and recently in 2019 after two MGP MLAs merged its legislative wing with BJP.
Halarnkar joined BJP in 2019 along with nine other Congress MLAs.
“I will for the people of Goa, I will work for human development and making employments opportunities for the people state,” said Nilkanth Harlarnkar.
Goa BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade had last week said that a decision on three cabinet berths lying vacant will be taken “within a month or two”.
In the recently concluded elections in Goa, the BJP won 20 seats, one short of the majority in the 40-member House.
Three independent MLAs and two legislators of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) have extended their support to the BJP.
Chief Secretary, Shri Punnet Kumar Goel, IAS read out the order of appointment.
Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant; Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar; Ministers Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Shirodkar; Rohan Khaunte and Attanasio Monseratte; Rajya Sabha MP, Vinay Tendulkar; MLA’s Shri Jeet Arolkar, Shri Ulhas Tuyekar, Smt Jennifer Monserrate, Smt Deviya Rane, Joshua Dsouza, Dr Chandrakant Shetye and Carlos Alvares, Secretaries to Government and senior
government officials were present on occasion.
Know your ministers…
Sudin Dhavalikar
Assets – 16,90,67,222 cr
Education – Graduate
Criminal cases – nil
Nilkanth Halarnkar
Assets – 8,21,48,820 cr
Education – 10th pass
Criminal cases – nil
Subhash Phaldesai
Assets – 8,76,51,774 cr
Education – Post Graduate
Criminal cases – nil