Goa: 4 newly-elected MLAs to take oath tomorrow

The four newly-elected MLAs in Goa would be sworn in on Tuesday, acting assembly Speaker Michael Lobo said on Monday.

The swearing-in ceremony of all the four MLAs, comprising BJP MLAs Subhash Shirodkar from Shiroda, Dayanand Sopte from Mandrem and Joshua D'Souza from Mapusa, as well as Congress' Atanasio Monserrate wrested the Panaji seat.

The ceremony will take place at 10:45 am at the assembly complex, Lobo told ANI.

The bypolls in Shiroda and Mandrem became necessary following the resignation of their sitting Congress lawmakers.

Panaji Assembly seat became vacant after the demise of former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who held the seat for nearly two-and-a-half decades since 1994.

Joshua retained the BJP seat where the by-poll was necessitated after the death of his father Francis D'Souza. He registered his victory against Congress' Sudhir Kandolkar in the seat - a stronghold of the BJP for the last 20 years.

Goa Assembly has a strength of 40 members out of which BJP currently has 17 legislators and enjoys the support of legislators from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Vijay Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and three independents. GFP and MGP each have three MLAs.

Congress, on the other hand, has 15 MLAs in the house.