Something wrong in governance resulted in fractured mandate: Parrikar

Manohar Parrikar, who today took charge as the Goa Chief Minister, admitted that there was something wrong in governance that resulted in the loss of many BJP ministers in the assembly polls.

"First let me take stock of what has happened in two and a half years. The fact that many of the ministers lost, indicates there was something wrong in governance during the last two and a half years. Let me identify that aspect and ensure that administration is efficient and we move towards good governance," Parrikar told ANI in an exclusive conversation.

The former defence minister expressed confidence that he would be able to prove his majority on the floor of the House tomorrow.

"I don' think there is any problem with anyone. It was actually indirectly proved that the law requires that it is to be done on the floor of the assembly. Yesterday in the swearing -in ceremony, all 22+ 1 were there, again the Congress went to the Governor, where they only presented 17 people. The number is very clear. So, I don't see any reason that there has to be any apprehension," he said.

The senior BJP leader yesterday took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Goa.

Governor Mridula Sinha administered the oath of office to Parrikar at the Raj Bhavan here.

The Supreme Court yesterday refused to stay Parrikar's swearing-in and ordered a floor test in the state assembly at 11 a.m. on March 16.

Parrikar earlier quit as the defence minister, a post he had been holding since November 2014 after first reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet.

At that time, he was serving his second term as the Chief Minister of Goa.

Parrikar has been Goa's Chief Minister twice before and has been credited with strengthening the BJP in the coastal state.

The BJP, which won 13 seats in the 40-member Goa Assembly, managed to garner support from other parties and Independents to attain majority under Parrikar.

Three MLAs of the Goa Forward Party, three of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and two Independents have pledged their support to Parrikar.

The Congress won 17 seats in the recently concluded polls.