Manohar Parrikar to return as Goa CM

New Delhi: With Manohar Parrikar headed back to Goa as the next chief minister, finance minister Arun Jaitley has taken the additional charge of defence minister. Rashtrapati Bhavan said that President Pranab Mukherjee had accepted Mr Parrikar’s resignation with immediate effect. Mr Parrikar submitted his resignation after the BJP staked claim to form an alliance government in Goa. He will be sworn in as the chief minister of Goa tomorrow heading the BJP-led ministry, which has the support of regional outfits and Independents. Around eight MLAs would take oath as ministers today along with Mr Parrikar.

A statement from the President’s office said: “Further as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Mr Arun Jaitley, cabinet minister, shall be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Defence, in addition to his existing portfolios.” This is the second time that Mr Jaitley is holding the additional portfolio of Defence Ministry during the present NDA government. He was in charge of the ministry earlier from May 26 to November 9 in 2014. BJP’s Goa unit president Vinay Tendulkar said that around eight to nine ministers including two each from the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashta Gomantak Party and two independents will be sworn in. “Two or three ministers from BJP (including Mr Parrikar) too will take the oath. Among the BJP legislators, (current) deputy CM Francis D’Souza and another legislator whose name would be announced on Tuesday morning will be sworn in,” he said.

Mr Tendulkar, however, added that from the BJP only Mr Parrikar and Mr D’Souza might be sworn in. “That possibility cannot be ruled out,” he said. “Three or four ministerial berths would be filled in the cabinet expansion later,” Mr Tendulkar said. Governor Mridula Sinha has invited Mr Parrikar to form the government after he produced letter of support of 21 MLAs, though the BJP finished as the second-largest party behind the Congress, bagging merely 13 seats against 17 of the Congress. Mr Parrikar was accompanied by GFP leader Vijai Sardesai and MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar when he met Governor Sinha and staked the claim to form the government. BJP president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his cabinet colleague Nitin Gadkari would be present at the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan, said Mr Tendulkar.