Sawant dismisses reports of sacked Dy. CMs joining BJP

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday dismissed reports in a section of the local media that former deputy Chief Ministers Sudin Dhavalikar and Vijai Sardesai were likely to join the BJP in the coming days.

"Right now, I am the BJP Chief Minister. I have no idea about this. I wanted to avoid comment on this matter," Sawant told reporters, when asked to comment on reports in the media that Dhavalikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, and Sardesai of Goa Forward, were likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Both Dhavalikar and Sardesai were deputy Chief Ministers in the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet, until they were unceremoniously sacked by Sawant in July this year.

Sawant took over as Chief Minister, following the death of former CM late Manohar Parrikar in March this year.

As many as 15 MLAs, including 13 from the Congress, have joined the BJP, ever since the 2017 state assembly elections, in which the Congress emerged as the single largest party, but the BJP managed to cobble together a coalition government.IANS