Goa MLA Sankalp Amonkar sworn in as minister in Pramod Sawant cabinet ahead of 2027 polls

In Goa, MLA Sankalp Amonkar took the oath as a minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday, filling a vacancy created by the passing of former agriculture minister Ravi Naik. The ceremony took place in the presence of Sawant and other cabinet ministers. Amonkar, one of eight former Congress lawmakers who defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will become the 12th minister in Sawant's cabinet.

Speaking at the event, Amonkar expressed gratitude to the BJP leadership at both state and national levels and reassured that there was ample time to accomplish tasks. He stressed that the government's progress since its inception is a testament to the potential they have to effect change. Amonkar's tenure is expected to be brief, likely lasting only a few months, considering the scheduled assembly elections early next year.

This is Sawant's third move to induct a Congress defector into the cabinet, following the appointment of Aleixo Sequeira and Digambar Kamat. The BJP believes this move is a gesture to appease Amonkar, who had initially declined to take up a ministerial position.