Sawant to be CM, allies get pound of flesh; ceremony delayed

BJP's Pramod Sawant will succeed Manohar Parrikar but looks unlikely to be sworn in Monday as the 11 pm deadline of the ceremony passed.

There was no word on when the swearing in will take place. Earlier, an official had announced it will take place at 11 pm Monday.

There appeared no signs of it happening as it approached midnight.

It was not known if the ceremony will take place after midnight or Tuesday.

A large media contingent was left standing outside the Raj Bhavan gates where the ceremony was to take place as entry was not allowed.

Sawant will succeed Parrikar, who died Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer and was cremated with state honours here Monday evening.

Sawant is now Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly.

As per the power-sharing arrangement reached with allies, an MLA each from two small parties backing BJP in the coastal state will be made deputy chief minister, party sources said.

They are Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLA Sudin Dhavalikar.

Meanwhile, state BJP unit president Vinay Tendulkar said that the party was yet to stake claim to form the new government in the coastal state.

"We have not yet submitted letter to the Governor, so how can the swearing in happen?, Tendulkar told reporters.

Earlier in the evening, State Information and Publicity Department had communicated that the swearing in ceremony would be held at 11 pm Monday.