10.11.14

Parsekar sworn-in as Goa CM


Laxmikant Parsekar, an old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) hand who helped build the BJP base in Goa, was on Saturday sworn in as chief minister of the coastal state after he snuffed out competition from his senior and deputy CM Francis D'Souza to succeed Manohar Parrikar who was plucked for a Union cabinet berth.
58-year-old Parsekar, an MLA from Mandrem, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Mridula Sinha at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan, along with nine other ministers seven from BJP and two from its alliance partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).
Francis D'Souza, Dayanand Mandrekar, Ramesh Tawadkar, Mahadev Naik, Dilip Parulekar, Milind Naik, Alina Saldanha (all from BJP) and Ramakrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar and Dipak Dhavalikar (both from MGP), all of whom were ministers in the previous Manohar Parrikar government, were retained in the Parsekar ministry .
With strong backing from RSS and BJP , he quelled the challenge thrown by D'Souza, the senior-most minister in the Parrikar government and the catholic face of BJP who had staked claim to the post, citing his seniority.
His name was proposed by Parrikar and seconded by D'Souza, who was mollified by the party leadership. “On Friday the chief minister was being nominated. Today he has been elected by the 21 MLAs... I cannot be upset with an election process. When there is an election and majority of MLAs vote for him, how can I be upset,“ D'Souza said. D'Souza had said he will not join the new government if he was not made the chief minister. However, he was among those who were sworn-in this evening.

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