Team Herald

PORVORIM: BJP MLA Michael Lobo was elected as Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on Friday defeating Congress MLA Isidore Fernandes. 

The Calangute MLA polled 21 votes while the Congress candidate got 15, after opposition MLA Francis Silvera arrived late to the House. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Churchill Alemao, who had supported the government’s trust vote, abstained from voting.

The BJP-led coalition has 22 MLAs in the House, while the Congress strength has been reduced to 16 after its Valpoi MLA resigned. Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant did not vote. 

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar escorted Lobo to his chair after he was declared elected. Congratulating Lobo, Parrikar said Lobo has to handle an important responsibility. “He has always been a loyal solider of the party and today he has been reward for his hard work,” the Chief Minister said. 

Others, including Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavalekar and MGP minister Sudin Dhavalikar also spoke congratulating Lobo.

Addressing the House after being elected, Lobo said, “I look at Manohar Parrikar as a visionary leader, who has the capacity to do justice to the people of Goa. I will always be with Parrikar due to his vision for Goa.”

Lobo recalled that in 2006 he got an opportunity to work with Parrikar and BJP, after the party supported him in the panchayat and zilla panchayat elections. “Though, I was closely following Parrikar since 2002, I got an opportunity to work with him in 2006, when I joined the party,” he said. 

“Parrikar left his position as Union Defence Minister for the sake of Goa. People of Goa know why he came. There were unfinished issues which needed to be settled,” Lobo said.