Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Aug 21: Ending weeks of speculation, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday, inducting senior BJP legislators Digambar Kamat and Ramesh Tawadkar into ministerial roles. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Raj Bhavan, where Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju administered the oath of office and secrecy in the presence of the Chief Minister.

The reshuffle comes in the wake of recent vacancies—one created by the removal of Govind Gaude in June and another following the resignation of Aleixo Sequeira just a day before the new appointments. With two seats open, the inclusion of Kamat and Tawadkar brings fresh political weight and experience to the ruling BJP cabinet.

All attention now turns to the distribution of portfolios, with expectations that Chief Minister Sawant will offload several of the departments he has personally held for an extended period.

Digambar Kamat, 71, brings significant administrative experience, having served as Goa’s Chief Minister from 2007 to 2012 under a Congress-led government. He made a political shift in 2022, joining the BJP along with several other Congress MLAs, further consolidating the party’s strength in the Assembly.

Ramesh Tawadkar, 57, who resigned as Speaker ahead of his induction, is no stranger to executive roles. He served in Manohar Parrikar’s cabinet from 2012 to 2017. After a brief electoral setback in 2017, he returned to the Assembly in 2022 on a BJP ticket from Canacona.

The reshuffle signals a strategic move by the Sawant government to bring seasoned leadership into key positions, as it prepares for the final stretch of its term. Portfolio announcements are expected shortly.