Gadkari holds talks with BJP, MGP leaders to select new Goa CM
Panaji: Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Monday held talks here with party leaders and alliance partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) to select a new Goa chief minister following the death of Manohar Parrikar.
The BJP-led coalition in Goa began discussions on Sunday night to find a new leader to replace Parrikar, who had died earlier in the evening.
Parrikar, 63, was heading a coalition government comprising the BJP, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the MGP and Independents.
Gadkari arrived in the coastal state past midnight and resumed the talks with leaders of the BJP and MGP at a hotel near Panaji in the morning.
BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane, MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar, who are aspirants for the chief minister's post, attended the meeting. A third contender, Pramod Sawant, who is currently the speaker, was not present.
Leaders of the GFP were not called for the meeting.
Dhavalikar said clarity on the leadership issue was expected by 3 pm.
The Congress is the single largest party in the state with 14 MLAs. The BJP has 12 legislators in the 40-member Goa assembly.
The GFP, MGP and Independents have three MLAs each while the NCP has one legislator.
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Kerala Assembly polls: Trends after 9 am show UDF continues to lead
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): As counting of EVM votes polled in the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections commenced, trends after 9 am show the Congress-led UDF leading in the state.
The UDF was ahead in close to 90 seats, while the CPI(M)-led LDF was leading in over 40 seats with the BJP-headed NDA in the front in around 5 assembly constituencies as EVM votes began to be counted, according to news reports.
As per Election Commission figures, Congress is ahead in 10 seats, CPI(M) in 5, CPI in 2, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) 2 and IUML, RJD and Kerala Congress (KEC) with one each, among others.
The trends appear to support the UDF claim that it would get a huge majority. PTI
If the situation continues, the UDF stand to claim power in the state.
