Panaji: Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Pandurang Sawant will be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of a BJP-led coalition government on Monday evening by Governor Mridula Sinha, a senior BJP leader said.
Sawant, who will be the 11th Chief Minister of the coastal state, will succeed his mentor Manohar Parrikar, who died on Sunday after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. The last rites of Parrikar were held on Monday evening with full state honours.
“The BJP had finalised Sawant’s candidature last night. But we only managed to convince alliance partners today (Monday) evening in the presence of our national President Amit Shah and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. He will be sworn in as Chief Minister later today,” said the BJP leader who did not want to be identified.
Meanwhile, the last rites of Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who died on Sunday after suffering from pancreatic cancer for over a year, were held with full military and state honours at the Miramar beach here on Monday evening.
Thousands of supporters and BJP workers accompanied the funeral cortege from the Kala Academy Arts and Cultural Centre, where the remains had been kept throughout the day for the public to pay last respects to the nearby Miramar beach.
The mortal remains of Parrikar, wrapped in the national tri-colour, were placed on a pyre amid a 21 gun salute at the beach and his elder son Utpal Parrikar consigned it to flames.
Parrikar, 63, is survived by two sons, two daughter in-laws and a grandson. — IANS
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