Manohar Parrikar will be sworn in as chief Minister of Goa

Goa, Manohar Parrikar will be sworn in as chief Minister by state Governor, K. Sankaranarayanan at SAG Grounds at Campal in Panaji at 5.00 p.m.amidst tight security. The first batch of the cabinet ministers of BJP-MGP combine Government will also be sworn in tomorrow.

Parrikar formally staked claim to form the government after a meeting with the governor at Raj Bhavan, Dona Paula, on Wednesday evening.Earlier, he was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature party at a meeting of the BJP MLAs-elect. The BJP also had a joint meeting with members of their pre-election alliance partners, MGP and the two independent MLAs of Navelim and Velim.

BJP central leaders Venkaiah Naidu and Ravi Shankar Prasad were present for the deliberations and also during the meeting with the governor. MGP's Ramkrishna Dhavalikar and independents Avertano Furtado (Navelim) and Benjamin D'Silva (Velim) accompanied the BJP leaders for the meeting with the governor.Briefing the media at Raj Bhavan, after meeting the governor, Parrikar said he will convey details of the composition of his cabinet to the governor by Thursday.

To media queries on various issues, the chief minister in-waiting said he could not act as an extra-constitutional authority and will wait till he takes office. Parrikar said that after he takes oath of office, he will convene the first meeting of his cabinet and issue five or six administrative decisions for implementation to the chief secretary.

Parrikar said he has also requested the governor to vigorously follow-up with the central government, the Goa Lokayukta bill which was forwarded for the centre's approval in January this year. "This is important so that we can keep our promise of setting up the Lokayukta within 100 days," Parrikar said.

Speaking to media persons, Venkaiah Naidu said the Goa verdict is very significant and expressed happiness that the minorities and other people had given such overwhelming support to the BJP. "This is a vote for good governance and a better treatment of Goa. The BJP central leadership is confident that under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar, Goa will get good governance," Naidu said.

Responding to a question on the charge of communalism against the BJP, Naidu said BJP's mantra and agenda is good governance. "Our motto is appeasement of none and justice to all," Naidu said.