In message to Goa's Sawant after oath, PM recalls 'pro-people work' in 10 years
In the recently concluded assembly elections in Goa, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Pramod Sawant for taking oath as Goa's chief minister for a second consecutive term. Taking to Twitter, Modi also congratulated the ministers in Sawant's cabinet for being sworn in.
“Congratulations to Pramod Sawant Ji and all others who took oath in Goa today. I am confident this entire team will deliver good to the people of Goa and build on the pro-people work done in the last decade.” Sawant was administered the oath by Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai in a ceremony held at Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee stadium at Bambolim near Panaji.
Prime Minister Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda and chief ministers of other BJP ruled states and party leaders were a part of the mega event.
Sawant had offered prayers hours before the oath-taking ceremony. He was chosen to retain the state's top post last week.
After taking oath, Sawant said that his government will focus on employment generation, tourism and restarting mining activities in the state.
In the recently concluded assembly elections in Goa, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly. The exit polls had predicted a tight fight between the BJP and the Congress, which ended up winning 11 seats.
Pramod Sawant retained his Sanquelim constituency after defeating Congress leader Dharmesh Saglani by a margin of 666 votes. He became the chief minister for the first time in March 2019 after the death of Manohar Parrikar, who he has often called his mentor.
Sawant is an Ayurveda medical practitioner by profession and began his electoral career in 2008. He is considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
After losing the by-elections in 2008 to Congress, Sawant worked in the shadow of Manohar Parrikar and came back in the 2012 assembly elections, where he won from Sanquelim. In 2017, Sawant won the constituency again and was elected to the Speaker of the Goa Assembly.
