Panaji Mar 21 PTI Three-time MLA Pramod Sawant will continue as the chief minister of Goa for a second term the BJP announced on Monday after he was unanimously elected the legislature party head 11 days after he led the saffron outfit to its second best performance in terms of seats in Assembly polls in the coastal stateSawant said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President J P Nadda will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government for which a date is yet to be decidedTalking to reporters here he said the exact date of swearing-in would be decided only after getting confirmation of schedule from the PM and NaddaSoon after Sawant 48 was elected the leader of the legislature party in Goa the BJP staked a claim to form the new government with support from two MGP MLAs and three Independent legislators for a third straight term a credible achievement in a state known for its political volatility and shifting of loyaltiesThe BJP which won 20 seats in the 40-member Assembly just one shy of the majority mark of 21 submitted letters of support from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLAs and three Independents MLAs -- Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco Dr Chandrakant Shetye and Antonio Vas - to Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai who invited Sawant to form the next governmentI am satisfied that 25 MLAs are supporting the claim of Dr Pramod Sawant Accordingly I hereby invite you to be appointed as the chief minister of Goa You will assume office after administration of oath the Governor said after receiving the lettersEarlier Sawants name for the top post was cleared at a meeting of the newly elected BJP MLAs and senior party leaders in Panaji in the eveningThe 48-year-old politician is a three-time MLA from Sankhalim in North Goa He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly when the BJP formed its government under the leadership of Parrikar in 2017He was sworn-in as the chief minister for the first time in March 2019 after the death of ParrikarSawant an Ayurveda medical practitioner was at the helm when the coastal state faced the COVID-19 pandemic along with other parts of the countryThe meeting was also attended by BJP central observers Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan Assembly poll in-charge Devendra Fadnavis and the partys state unit president Sadanand Shet TanavadeIt has been decided that Dr Pramod Sawant would be the leader of the House Tomar told reporters after the meetingTomar said MLA Vishwajit Rane who was being seen as a strong contender for the CMs post proposed Sawants name as the leader of the BJP legislature party His proposal was seconded by other MLAs including Mauvin Godinho and Rohan KhaunteTomar said Sawants election was unanimousWe will be inviting the PM and Nadda for the swearing-in ceremony We will be able to convey to you the exact date of swearing-in once we get confirmation of schedule from both of them the CM-designate saidUnder Sawant the BJP won 20 seats in the February 14 Assembly polls results of which were declared on March 10 an improvement from 13 bagged by the saffron outfit in 2017The BJP tally of 20 was its second best after the party had won 21 seats in 2012 when late Manohar Parrikar dominated Goas political scene Sawant said his incoming government will work with full transparency and take forward the mission of Swayampurna Goa 20 which is an extension of the PMs Aatmanirbhar Bharat programmeHe said said creation of adequate infrastructure and human development would be the focus areas of the state government in the next five yearsSwayampurna Goa is an extension of Prime Minister Modis Aatmanirbhar Bharat scheme which will be implemented across the state with thrust on self-sufficiency he saidUnder the programme a state government officer is appointed as Swayampurna Mitra who visits a designated panchayat or municipality interacts with people coordinates with multiple departments and ensures that benefits of various welfare schemes reach the targeted populationHe said he will take along non-BJP legislators who have extended their support to the new governmentWe will work with full transparency taking into confidence the parties which have extended their support to the government We all will work together he saidHe said the BJP will continue giving good governance in the coastal state PTI RPS VT RSY RSY

Panaji Mar 21 PTI Chief Minister-designate Pramod Sawant on Monday said his incoming government will work with full transparency and take forward the mission of Swayampurna Goa 20 which is an extension of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Aatmanirbhar Bharat programmeTalking to reporters here soon after being elected the BJP legislature party leader giving him a second term as CM Sawant said creation of adequate infrastructure and human development would be the focus areas of the state government in the next five yearsHe said his outgoing government had successfully implemented Swayampurna Goa 10 and its second version will be executed with even more vigourSwayampurna Goa is an extension of Prime Minister Modis Aatmanirbhar Bharat scheme which will be implemented across the state with thrust on self-sufficiency he saidUnder the programme a state government officer is appointed as Swayampurna Mitra who visits a designated panchayat or municipality interacts with people coordinates with multiple departments and ensures that benefits of various welfare schemes reach the targeted populationHe said he will take along non-BJP legislators who have extended their support to the new governmentWe will work with full transparency taking into confidence the parties which have extended their support to the government We all will work together he saidThe BJP has received support from the regional outfit MGP which has two MLAs and three Independent legislators putting their combined strength in the 40-member Assembly at 25 above simple majority mark of 21 The ruling party won 20 seats in the February 14 Assembly polls results of which were announced on March 10He said the BJP will continue giving good governance in the coastal state PTI RPS RSY RSY