Shripad elevated to 4th rank among 10 Independent MoS
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 26 May 2014 22:48 IST
Shripad Yeso Naik, the BJP MP for the fourth consecutive term from North Goa, has been absorbed in the Narendra Modi government with an elevated position of minister of state, with an independent charge.
While he was sworn in at the fourth position among the 10 MoS with independent charge today at Rashtrapati Bhavan, his portfolio is still not known.
Sources say the state BJP has strongly demanded mining portfolio for him.
Naik, who has been representing North Goa since 1999, was elected with record margin of over one lakh votes this time.
In the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, since 2000 to 2003, Naik has held several positions as a minister of state, but not with independent charge.
He has held the portfolios of agriculture, shipping, civil aviation, road transport and highways as well as finance (revenue).
However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen 10 MPs, who could handle ministries independently, while clubbing them together under one cabinet minister.
Naik is one among them, at fourth rank, after former Army chief V K Singh, Inderjit Singh Rao and Santosh Kumar Gangwar.
The 62-year old soft-spoken MP started his political career as a Sarpanch of Durbhat at the age of 32.
After working tirelessly to establish the BJP in Goa, he entered the Goa Assembly in 1994, along with chief minister Manohar Parrikar, ex-chief minister Digambar Kamat (now with Congress) and former deputy speaker Narahari Haldankar.
He was then elected the MP in 1999 election to the 13th Lok Sabha.
Ravi Satardekar , GOA
I have an answer to your question. Where is Vishnu Wagh!!
This "Little Pussycat" that thinks he is a "Lion" is busy licking & nursing his Political.Physical and aspirational wounds.
As you may be aware he has been well hammered on every side. His EGO is as large as his physique and needs trimming.
He is yet to learn that anyone that tries to sail on 2 boats, at the same time, is sure to drown.
Sadly, Vishnu tries to defy this logic.
Vishnu suffers from the same disease as Churchill Alemao.
Believing "the grass is always greener on the other side",they change their Political Loyalties and Parties to increase their Bank Balances and Black Money Portfolios.