Updated
Panaji, Mar 12 (Agencies): Goa Governor Mridula Sinha on Sunday appointed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar as the new Chief Minister of Goa.
Parrikar has been asked to prove majority on the floor of the Goa Legislative Assembly "15 days after administration of oath of office and secrecy", a letter issued by Secretary to the Governor Rupesh Kumar Thakur said.
The letter said that Parrikar had submitted evidence of support of 21 MLAs before the Governor.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has 13 MLAs, is supported by three legislators each of the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and two Independent legislators.
According to Union Minister for Roads, Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, Parrikar will resign as Defence Minister before he takes oath of office as Goa Chief Minister.
Parrikar on Sunday evening had met Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, with MLAs of the BJP and other parties, to stake claim to form the government.
The BJP in Goa had on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution electing Parrikar as the legislature party leader.
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) had said that it would support the BJP in the state in its efforts to form a government, only if Parrikar was made the Chief Minister.
The BJP has 13 MLAs in Goa after the results of the Assembly elections were announced on Saturday. On Sunday, Parrikar met the Governor with the BJP MLAs, 3 MLAs of MGP, 3 Goa Forward Party MLAs and 3 Independent MLAs, thus taking its number up to 22 in the 40-member Assembly.
Speaking about the developments, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said to ANI, “MGP and Goa Forward Party said during our discussions that only if Manohar Parrikar becomes Goa CM candidate, then we will support BJP.”
However, he added, ”Parrikar will have to resign as Defence Minister before becoming Goa CM, but he has not done it yet”.
“This is a mandate given by the people, though we fell short of majority. Together we have completed the magic figure of 21,” Parrikar said addressing the media later.
“We met the Governor, and we are expecting an invitation. Once we receive it, we will consult our colleagues and decide the date for swearing in,” Parrikar added.
The Congress, which won 17 seats in Goa, will thus once again have to sit in the Opposition, after doing so from 2012 to 2017.