Three-time MLA Pramod Sawant, who led the BJP to win 20 seats in the recently concluded elections to the 40-member Goa Assembly, was sworn in as the state’s chief minister for the second time on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries.

Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai administered the oath to Sawant (48) and eight other BJP MLAs as cabinet ministers in a ceremony held at Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee stadium at Bambolim near the state capital Panaji in the presence of a large number of people.

Prime Minister Modi, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, BJP national president J P Nadda, Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Maharashtra’s former chief minister Devendra Fadanavis were among those who attended the event.

Sawant took the oath in Konkani language. This is his second term as the state’s chief minister. He became the CM for the first time in March 2019 after the demise of then chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

Besides Sawant, the others who took oath are – Vishwajit Rane, Mauvin Godinho, Ravi Naik, Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Shirodkar, Rohan Khaunte, Govind Gaude and Atanasio Monserratte.

Rane, Godinho, Cabral and Gaude were part of the Sawant-led cabinet from 2019-22, while Khaunte was a minister in the Parrikar-headed government.

Sawant, an MLA from Sankhalim in North Goa, was elected as Goa BJP legislature wing head after the party won 20 seats, one short of a simple majority in the 40-member Assembly, in the polls held on February 14.

Three independent MLAs and two legislators of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) have extended support to the BJP.