BJP meeting to elect next Goa CM begins in Panaji

PANAJI, (PTI): A crucial meeting of BJP MLAs to elect the new Goa chief minister began in Panaji on Monday evening at around 5pm, 11 days after the ruling party emerged as the single largest political formation bagging 20 seats in the just held Assembly polls.

BJP’s central observers Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan arrived here this afternoon to oversee the process to elect the leader of the BJP legislature party who will take over as the next chief minister of the coastal state.

Newly elected MLAs of the BJP, which won 20 seats in the 40-member House, just one short of the majority mark, are taking part in the meeting at the party headquarters in the state capital.

The BJP has secured the support of two MLAs of the MGP and three Independent legislators, placing it comfortably in terms of numbers in the new Assembly.

After choosing the next chief minister, BJP leaders and MLAs are scheduled to meet Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai at the Raj Bhavan, later today evening, to stake a claim to form the new government.

BJP leader and caretaker chief minister Pramod Sawant is widely tipped to retain the top post. (PTI)