Sudin Dhavalikar, Vijai Sardesai appointed Goa Deputy CMs

Sudin Dhavalikar and Vijai Sardesai were Wednesday appointed deputy chief ministers in the BJP-led government in Goa.

A notification issued by Varsha Naik, Under Secretary in the General Administration department, said the two are being appointed as deputy chief ministers with immediate effect.

The development came soon after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant proved the majority of his two-day old government in the state Assembly floor test without any hiccups.

Sawant, who heads the BJP-led coalition government comprising the Goa Forward Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and three Independents, comfortably won the floor test with 20 MLAs supporting the government and 15 legislators opposing it.

Dhavalikar and Sardesai, who represent MGP and GFP respectively, were sworn in as ministers along with Sawant just before 2 am on Tuesday, after hectic parleys between the saffron party and its allies to put a new government in place in the state.

Sawant, 45, succeeds Manohar Parrikar, who died Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer.

As part of an understanding reached by the BJP with the alliance partners, Dhavalikar and Sardesai were assured the post of deputy CMs in the 12-member Cabinet.

The effective strength of the 40-member Assembly is now 36, after death of two members--Parrikar and Francis D'Souza--and resignation by two MLAs of the Congress.

Besides 11 members from BJP, three each from the Goa Forward Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and also three Independents supported Sawant during the floor test in the Assembly.