Who will be the chief minister of Goa? The cliffhanger continues.

After having reached the halfway mark in the assembly, a seat short of majority, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to announce the name of the chief minister.

Pramod Sawant, presently the caretaker CM, is confident that he will be named again for the post. However, top BJP sources tell News18.com that there are a few hurdles.

REASON ONE: UTTARAKHAND

One of the major reasons for the delay in finalising the name for the CM’s post is Uttarakhand.

The BJP is faced with the dilemma of choosing the CM face, as the outgoing CM Pushkar Singh Dhami lost his Khatima seat to a Congress candidate. The BJP has won 47 of the 70 seats and stormed to power after setting a new record in a state, where voters changed governments each election.

“The central leadership has finally been able to decide the name. It should be announced shortly. The names of CMs in all four states will be announced simultaneously. This was one of the major delays in making a decision for Goa,” a highly placed BJP official told News18.

REASON TWO: RANE OR SAWANT?

The second reason that has put the BJP in a spot is the pressure from supporters of Valpoi’s BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane. The former Goa health minister who switched from the Congress to the BJP in 2017, after his previous party failed to form the government, is hoping to be named as well.

Rane, a few BJP leaders who this reporter contacted said, is definitely in the race.

“He is liked by some of the top leaders in Delhi. He is a strong contender, it’s the tussle between them that is delaying the decision,” a leader who did not want to be named said.

One may recall the silent yet strong messaging by Rane a day before of votes as well.

On March 9, in a cryptic message to the BJP high command, Rane had put up a photograph of Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar with a few other leaders onboard a fight. He deleted the tweet soon after.

Yet again, on March 12, he paid a visit to Goa Governor H.E Sreedharan Pillai, once again perceived as a message intended for the BJP.

When News18 asked Rane if he was in the race, he said, “Let’s see.” And walked away with a smile.

On Monday, a day when the central observers from the party Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan are expected to land in the coastal state to make a final decision, Rane released an advertisement thanking his voters, state BJP leaders and the central leadership. Curiously, Pramod Sawant’s picture was missing in that full page advertisement in the Lokmat.

Sawant, on the other hand, has crossed his fingers. “We went to the elections with Pramod Sawant as our chief ministerial face. He has governed well and has led the party to an impressive victory. He is the obvious choice,” said a leader from the Sawant group.

“The final decision will be taken by the parliamentary board. We are in no hurry. We have won handsomely and we will provide a stable and good government for the next five years. We will have to wait to choose the CM,” said CT Ravi, BJP’s Goa desk in-charge.

REASON THREE: ASTROLOGY

The third reason that is causing the delay is dependent on astrology.

“There are no auspicious days between March 10 and 17. So even if the swearing-in has to take place, it will only be after that,” said a CMO official.

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