Days after being inducted in the Goa Cabinet, Congress Defector and Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar on Monday was awarded 5 ministries. Kavlekar, who was Leader of Opposition in Goa Leader, has been appointed as Town and Country Planning Minister.
While he has also been given the charge of four other departments including – Agriculture, Archives, Archaeology, Factories and Boilers. Congress defectors including Filipe Nery Rodrigues, Jennifer Monserrate, and Chandrakant Kavleka, took the oath as ministers in Goa Government last week.
Apart from Kavlekar, Former Congress MLA Jennifer has been given the charge of revenue, Information Technology, Labor and Employment Ministry while Filipe Nery has been appointed as Water Resources, Fisheries and Legal Metrology Minister.
Deputy Speaker Micheal Lobo has been awarded Waste Management, Ports, Science and Technology Department.
The four new ministers have been inducted in the state cabinet after 3 Ministers of Goa Forward Party and One Independent Minister were dropped by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
The Cabinet reshuffle came days after the 10 out of 15 Congress MLAs in Goa shifted loyalties and merged with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Following the merger episode, Congress is left with just 5 MLAs in the state where it was the single largest party after 2017 Assembly polls.
However, irked with the move, Goa Forward Party later withdrew support from Goa State Government.
Bharatiya Janata Party is now heading the government with 24 Legislators, MGP has one, while 3 are Independent MLAs.
While the opposition has now 6 MLAs – 5 from Indian National Congress and a lone from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).Vijay Sardesai-led GFP has three Legislators.
ALSO READ:
- Navjot Singh Sidhu sends his resignation to Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh
- Upset with Cabinet reshuffle; Goa Forward Party snaps ties with BJP-led Goa Govt; withdraws support
- Karnataka crisis: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi demands ‘floor test’ ahead of Karnataka Assembly Session