NT Reporter
Panaji
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar were on Thursday sworn in as ministers in Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led cabinet.
Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju administered the oath of office and secrecy to them at a ceremony held at the new darbar hall of Raj Bhavan in Dona Paula in the presence of the Chief Minister.
Both, Tawadkar and Kamat took the oath in Konkani. Hours before the swearing-in ceremony, Tawadkar resigned as Speaker of the state legislative assembly.
Speaking to media, Tawadkar said he faced many challenges while working in the social and political fields. “I have worked for BJP for many years. I have always worked for the people and the state. Ahead of the 2027 assembly polls, the party leadership has given me this important role and I am confident of doing justice to it,”
he said.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP’s national president J P Nadda, General Secretary B L Santhosh, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Goa BJP chief Damodar Naik for giving him the opportunity to be a cabinet minister, Kamat said, “I will work for the people and help to strengthen BJP in the state.”
The cabinet berths were vacant after Priol MLA Govind Gaude was dropped and following the resignation of Aleixo Sequeira as a cabinet
minister.
Priol MLA Govind Gaude was dropped by the Chief Minister on June 18, 2025. Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira resigned as a cabinet minister on Wednesday. It may be noted that Gaude was dropped from the cabinet following his controversial remark against the tribal welfare department, held by Sawant.
Tawadkar has got a cabinet berth after a gap of over eight years, while Kamat had to wait for more than 13 years to be back into the cabinet.
Despite being a sitting MLA and a minister, Tawadkar was denied a BJP ticket at the 2017 assembly elections. He had subsequently unsuccessfully contested the election as an Independent candidate from Canacona. He rejoined BJP in February 2019, before the 2022 Lok Sabha polls.
Kamat was number two in the BJP government led by then chief minister Manohar Parrikar from 2000 to 2005. However, just when he was the most needed man for the BJP to save the Parrikar government in February 2005, Kamat resigned as MLA, re-contested by-poll on Congress ticket and subsequently won the by-election.
Later in 2007, Kamat was chosen as chief minister of Congress-led government and he successfully completed his tenure. However, since BJP came to power from 2012, Kamat has remained an MLA for over 13 years.
