Goa CM Pramod Sawant proves majority in assembly

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday proved the majority of his Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the assembly, comfortably winning a floor test in the House.

When Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo asked for division of votes, 20 MLAs supported the confidence motion in the two-day old government, while 15 legislators opposed it.

The effective strength of the 40-member assembly is now 36, after death of two members and resignation by two others.

The change in leadership in the coastal state was necessitated due to the death of then chief minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday.

After winning the floor test, Sawant appealed to House members to "be positive", echoing a message given by Parrikar earlier.

The special assembly session was convened by Governor Mridula Sinha to conduct the floor test, after Sawant, who was earlier speaker of the assembly, was sworn in as the chief minister in the wee hours of Tuesday.

Besides 11 members from BJP, three each from the Goa Forward Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and three Independents supported Sawant during the head count conducted in the House.

All 14 MLAs of the Congress and one from the Nationalist Congress Party stood
up against the motion.

The session began with a discussion on a condolence motion moved by BJP's Rajesh Patnekar, expressing grief over the death of Parrikar, former deputy chief minister Francis D'Souza and former deputy speaker Vishnu Wagh.

After winning the trust vote, Sawant appealed to all members to join hands with him to ensure that developmental work reaches every nook and corner of the state.

"I would request everyone to keep in mind the message given by Parrikar, to be positive. We all should be positive and work for the development of the state," he said.

During the inauguration of third bridge across the Mandovi river here earlier this year, the then chief minister Parrikar had addressed a gathering and asked people to "be
positive".

On Wednesday, BJP MLA and former minister Pandurang Madkaikar, ailing since last year, made his first appearance in the House since June 2018. He was brought in a wheelchair.

Madkaikar, who was earlier power minister, suffered a brain stroke last year and has been recuperating at his home in Old Goa.

The strength of the 40-member House has been reduced to 36 after two sitting MLAs Parrikar and D'Souza - died while two Congress legislators, Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, resigned to join the BJP.