Manohar Parrikar took oath as the Goa CM for the fourth time. Joining him were MGP’s Sudin Dhavalikar, Pandurang Madkaikar, Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, Independent MLA Govind Gawade, GFP’s Vijay Sardesai and MGP’s Babu Ajgaonkar. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha administered the oath of office to Parrikar at the Raj Bhavan .
Meanwhile, after taking oath Manohar Parrikar took a dig at Congress asking why it didn’t go to the Governor if they had ‘support’. He said: “If you had the support then why did you not go to the Governor? The support extended to BJP to form govt in Goa is only for Goa’s development. No MLA wanted to support Congress. I agree the mandate is fractured, but with 22 MLAs together the vote share is more than sufficient. Its post poll alliance.”
In a major setback to the Congress Party, the Supreme Court earlier in the day refused to stay the swearing-in of Parrikar and ordered a floor test in the state assembly at 11 a.m. on March 16. Parrikar yesterday quit as the defence minister of India, a post he had been holding since November 2014 after first reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. At that time, he was serving his second term as the Chief Minister of Goa.
