Pramod Sawant, Goa's new CM, faces crucial floor test today

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A day after taking charge as Goa's chief minister, Pramod Sawant of the BJP is set to face a crucial floor test in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Sawant was picked ahead of others in BJP even as allies in Goa demanded the CM's post for their respective candidates. The BJP, eventually, chose the Goa Assembly Speaker with Goa Forward Party's Vijai Sardesai and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party's Sudin Dhavalikar as his deputies. He took oath in the wee hours of Tuesday and took charge hours later.

While Sawant may have replaced four-time Goa CM Manohar Parrikar who had died on Sunday, his stay in office will now depend on the Wednesday's crucial floor test.

Goa Chief Minister & BJP leader Pramod Sawant ahead of Floor Test: We have 100 per cent confidence that we will win. pic.twitter.com/q6WXhHMJko

— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2019

The 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly has a current strength of 36 because two members of BJP have died and two Congress MLAs have resigned from the party.

Congress still is the single-largest party here with 14 MLAs. BJP is next with 12 but is in alliance with MGP and GFP who have three MLAs each. There are also three independent MLAs and one from the Nationalist Congress Party.

The role of BJP allies in the floor test could be of significance because both MGP and GFP, reportedly, wanted their respective candidate to replace Parrikar. Instead, Sardesai and Dhavalikar were made deputies to Sawant.

Congress, on the other hand, maintains that it is the single-largest party and it is because of this that they have the right to form the government. A delegation from the party had even met Governor Mridula Sinha on Monday, claiming that since BJP's allies had come together on the condition that Parrikar would be the CM, his death results in BJP being left alone.

Sawant though appeared unfazed about the floor test and told Zee News on Monday that he hopes to carry out the good work done by Parrikar whom he considers his mentor.