Quit, says CM; not yet, says Vijai

Sawant formally asks 4 coalition ministers to put in their papers GF chief, three others to be sacked as they refuse to budge  Swearing-in of new faces today at 3 pm babu kavlekar set to be made Deputy Chief Minister in place of Vijai sardesai Babush Monseratte, michael lobo and Filipe Neri to be sworn in as ministers govind gaude to be retained in the cabinet

| JULY 13, 2019, 02:46 AM IST

the goan I network

PANAJI  

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant readied himself to reshuffle his cabinet on Saturday afternoon to accommodate the group of 10 Congress MLAs who broke away from the Congress and joined his Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday.   

And as expected, the axe fell on four non-BJP members of Sawant’s cabinet - Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai, Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte, Water Resources Minister Vinoda Palienkar and Housing Minister Jayesh Salgaonkar.   

On Friday evening, Sawant formally asked Vijai, Khaunte, Palienkar and Salgaonkar to put in their papers but the latter did not comply with his request and will now be sacked as ministers ahead of the ceremony to induct new ministers fixed for 3 pm on Saturday.   

Former Opposition Leader Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar, Panaji MLA Atanasio Babush Monserrate and Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues, all from the Congress group which merged with the BJP are to be sworn in as cabinet ministers. Also making the cut is Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo and he will also be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Mridula Sinha on Saturday afternoon.   

Kavlekar will be made Deputy Chief Minister in place of Vijai.   

The four ministers who are to be replaced meanwhile held their ground and refused to heed to Sawant’s request to resign.   

Goa Forward Party also said it is hopeful of a amicable solution to the power sharing predicament and claimed it will take steps after discussions with the BJP’s central leadership.

Khaunte, who is an independent legislator meanwhile, was incommunicado  through the day on Thursday and Friday. With Wednesday’s development  where 10 MLAs of the Congress split and merged with the BJP, it was  evident Sawant would effect a cabinet shake-up by axing the non-BJP  ministers and inducting Kavlekar, Monserrate, Filipe Neri and Michael  Lobo.A berth for veteran legislator Subhash Shirodkar was also on the  cards but Sawant is said to have changed his mind and decided against  dropping Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude to make way for the  Shiroda legislator.   

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