Team Herald
PANJIM: In a brief session of the Goa Legislative Assembly that never rose to any great heights, it was Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant who walked away with the honours.
If the three-day Budget session saw the BJP-led coalition government sail through, it was purely due to some well-strategised floor management, and Sawant coming to the government’s rescue in crunch situations.
With rising dissent within the BJP and simmering differences between the alliance partners, the government needed more than just good floor management and that extra bit came from the Speaker.
Normally in an Assembly session, it would be the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who would come to the rescue of the ministers, in case, they were cornered by the Opposition. But during this Assembly session, it was Sawant who did that, proving why he has been the trusted lieutenant since Parrikar took ill.
With full authority he would ask the Opposition MLAs to sit when the Ministers were up and answering and did not allow them (Opposition) room to manoeuvre. Not only did the Speaker speak with authority, but also commanded respect from fellow MLAs.
Of late, Sawant has risen above ranks to show his capabilities and has become a go to man for Parrikar.
Speaking to Herald on his rise amongst the cadres, Sawant said that the BJP is a party of karyakartas and good work is always rewarded.
“Be it PM Narendra Modi or ex-MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, they have all worked from the youth wing and have been at the top posts, that is the way the BJP takes care of its workers,” he said, adding, “Similarly I have also handled various important posts in the party, right from the youth wing, and am now here as Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly.”
But, Sawant’s name has been cropping up in BJP circles as a possible successor to Parrikar. Though BJP has not taken any decision on its next-in-line chief minister of Goa, Sawant is amongst the top choices, with the backing of Parrikar.
“I do not want to speak anything on that as it is unfair, but as I said Manoharbhai has shown tremendous trust in me in the past and present. I will always remain indebted to him,” Sawant told Herald.
Parrikar’s support for Sawant for the top post in the State comes from the belief that the young BJP leader is a party loyalist and will always put the party first before personal ambition.
Parrikar has also stipulated that the next CM must be an existing BJP MLA. With this condition, the chances of senior leaders like Union Minister Shripad Naik, party president Vinay Tendulkar and Rajendra Arlekar, ascending to the chief minister’s post is doubtful.
