GFP withdraws support to Pramod Sawant, announces Vijai Sardesai

Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai on Sunday said that his party was withdrawing support to the BJP government led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the state.

In a letter to Governor Mridula Sinha, Sardesai wrote: "Political Affairs Committee and the legislature party wing of Goa Forward Party met today and has decided unanimously to withdraw support to the Bharatiya Janta Party government led by Pramod Sawant."

This comes a day after Congress defectors, including former Leader of Opposition in Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar, and a BJP leader were on Saturday inducted into the Goa Cabinet while three GFP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Sardesai and an Independent MLA, were sacked as the Ministers.

The Congress rebel, Kavlekar will replace Sardesai as Deputy Chief Minister.

Kavlekar, along with two other Congress rebels -- Jennifer Monserrate and Filipe Nery Rodrigues and BJP MLA Michael Lobo -- took oath as ministers in the government headed by Sawant at a ceremony in which Governor administered the oath of office and secrecy to them.

Apart from Sardesai, those sacked from the ministry are Rohan Khaunte, Vinod Paliencar, and Jayesh Salongakar.

Earlier, Sawant had sought the resignation of four of his ministers --three of Goa Forward Party and an independent -- but they refused.

On the night of July 10, Sawant had gone to Delhi along with 10 MLAs to meet senior BJP leaders including working president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the development.

Following this, the rebel MLAs joined the BJP. With 10 MLAs changing the sides, the strength of Congress in the House has been reduced to five.

The MLAs who defected include Kavlekar, Isidore Fernandes, Francis Silveira, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Jennifer, Atanasio Monserrate, Antonio Fernandes, Nilakanth Halarnkar, Clafacio Dias and Wilfred D'Sa.