BJP’s Pramod Sawant will be the new chief minister of Goa, party sources said on Monday. Mr. Sawant is currently Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly.
Parrikar, 63, who passed away on Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer, was cremated with state honours here on Monday evening.
Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLA Sudin Dhavalikar have been picked as Deputy Chief Ministers, sources said.
As per the power-sharing arrangement reached with allies, an MLA each from two small parties backing BJP in the coastal state will be made deputy chief ministers, the sources added.
After a stalemate following a series of meetings with the allies, the BJP broke deadlock by accepting the key demand for deputy CM’s posts.
There was no Deputy CM post when Parrikar was the CM.
“We have managed to convince the alliance partners and finalised the formula of two deputy chief ministers for the State,” a senior BJP functionary said.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday evening had said a consensus eluded the BJP and its allies on the next Goa chief minister, adding the BJP had zeroed in on the CM candidate but the allies were yet to get on board.
There have been a series of meetings involving the Goa Forward Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s three MLAs each, an equal number of Independents, and BJP legislators since Sunday night, in order to reach a consensus on Parrikar’s successor.
Mr. Gadkari had flown into the state early Monday to lead the discussion.
Parrikar was heading a coalition government comprising the BJP, three MLAs each of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the MGP and three independents.
The Congress is currently the single largest party in the state with 14 MLAs. The BJP has 12 legislators in the 40-member Assembly, whose strength now is 36 after Parrikar’s death.
The House’s strength has been truncated due to demise of BJP MLA Francis D’Souza earlier this year, and Parrikar on Sunday, and resignations of two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte last year.
All the State Congress MLAs met Governor Mridula Sinha on Monday and staked claim to form government in the coastal State.
The MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, went to Raj Bhawan and handed over a letter to Ms. Sinha, saying it was the single largest party in the Assembly and should be allowed to form the government.
“We are saddened by the chief minister’s demise, but before his final rites are performed, a new government has to be formed…The governor acknowledged that the Congress is the single largest party and she said she will get back to us,” Mr. Kavlekar told reporters.
Parrikar was cremated with state honours here on Monday, with thousands bidding the affable politician a fond farewell.
BJP president Amit Shah, several Union ministers, and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states attended the funeral at Miramar.
Parrikar’s eldest son Utpal lit the funeral pyre.
The funeral procession started from the Kala Academy where thousands, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid their last respects to the former defence minister.
The mortal remains of the 63-year-old senior BJP leader were kept in a flower-decked hearse which left for the Miramar beach, where the last rites were performed.
The affection and popularity Parrikar enjoyed among ordinary Goans was on display as hundreds of people, and his party workers, lined up to pay tributes to the Chief Minister.
