Struggle for Goa on as BJP shorlisted Rane and speaker Sawant

BJP MLAs Pramod Sawant, currently Assembly Speaker, and Vishwajit Rane, the state Health minister, have been shortlisted for the post of Goa chief minister, Deputy Speaker of Assembly Michael Lobo said Monday. He said this Monday afternoon after emerging from a meeting with senior BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

"We will soon be announcing the name of the candidate for Goa Chief minister's post. We will do it after taking into confidence our alliance partners," Lobo added. BJP legislators and allies, comprising nine MLAs, have been in discussion since late Sunday night to choose a new leader after Manohar Parrikar died hours earlier after battling pancreatic cancer (officially described as pancreatic ailment) for over a year.

Gadkari had flown into the state in the early hours of Monday to lead the discussions and bring about a consensus on a new CM.