Arlekar to take over as new Goa CM on 8 Nov
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 06 November 2014 20:40 IST
Speaker Rajendra Arlekar will take over the reins of Goa from Manohar Parrikar, as the new chief minister of the state, on Saturday, 8th November.
Parrikar will be sworn in as India’s defence minister the next day, on Sunday, 9th November, in Delhi.
Parrikar is expected to submit his resignation tomorrow, after the Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party formally elects the new legislative leader at a hurriedly convened meeting at the Assembly complex tomorrow morning.
If elected, BJP would be the first political party of Goa to provide a chief minister belonging to the scheduled caste.
Arlekar represents Pernem, the only constituency reserved for the scheduled caste.
Highly placed sources in the ruling party disclosed to goanews.com that electing the new leader tomorrow is a mere formality as the top brass of the RSS as well as the BJP has already given nod to Arlekar’s name as Parrikar’s successor.
However, while talking to media when contacted, Arlekar claimed he has not been formally approached so far in this regard.
"I have not been communicated anything. But if party gives me any responsibility, I will handle it to my best capacity," said Arlekar.
Besides Arlekar, name of health minister Laxmikant Parsekar was also making rounds.
When contacted, Parsekar told PTI: "I will go by what party decides. I am not in the race. There is no race for the post. It would be the decision of the party.”
Incidentally, both the leaders have come up from RSS cadres and considered to be party loyalists.
Incidentally, both of them also represent Pernem taluka. Parsekar is the Mandrem MLA.
The legislature party meeting tomorrow is also likely to decide who would be the new speaker.
Names of St Andre MLA Vishnu Wagh and Sankhli MLA Pramod Sawant are making rounds, it is learnt.
is Dy. C.M. Mr. Francis D'Souza also for the race of CM and Mauvin Godinho for the Speaker