Goa Assembly's acting speaker Michael Lobo wants CM's post
Panaji, May 2: Goa Assembly's acting Speaker Michael Lobo Thursday said he would prefer to be the Chief Minister if given a chance by his party BJP instead of becoming a full-time Speaker.
His comments came ahead of election for the Speaker's post in the upcoming monsoon session of the Assembly.
The post of Speaker fell vacant after incumbent Pramod Sawant was elected the Chief Minister following the demise of Manohar Parrikar on March 17.
Lobo was elected the deputy speaker in March 2017 after the BJP-led government came to power in the state. He has been officiating as the acting Speaker after Sawant took over as the chief minister.
"As acting Speaker, I have got an opportunity to be the Speaker of the House and I don't want to continue to hold this post.
"I have told my party (BJP) that I am not in the race for the post of Speaker," Lobo said while talking to reporters in his chamber.
"The Speaker means you have to be very neutral. You cannot take up issues of general public. You can only call government officers and get work done from them.
"You cannot raise issues in the assembly, you cannot raise issues outside the assembly," said the BJP legislator known for issue-based attack on his own government.
Lobo said the Speaker is a neutral position and when someone assumes that office he has to be impartial.
He said a senior member of the House should take up that position and then revealed his chief ministerial ambition.
"I wanted to become the CM. The party has not done it.
I am still waiting that they will do it," Lobo said.
The MLA said he does not want to become the Speaker even if the BJP forces him to take up the constitutional post.
"If the party forces me to become the CM, I will be ready, but if the party forces to become the Speaker I wont. I am happy as deputy speaker," he added.
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Amaravati as capital of Andhra has nationwide support, except YSRCP: CM Naidu
Amaravati (PTI): Despite alleged conspiracies orchestrated by the opposition YSRCP, Amaravati's status as the capital of Andhra Pradesh has received unanimous support from the country, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference, Naidu asserted that after receiving the central government's sovereign seal, no one can alter the status of the capital city in the future.
"They (YSRCP) wanted to destroy Amaravati, but we brought a law. Today, the entire country stands behind Amaravati. Overcoming all conspiracies, Amaravati has emerged victorious."
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, making Amaravati the capital of the southern state, was passed by the Parliament.
He claimed that letters were written to the World Bank, opposing Amaravati and false narratives were spread against the project, including claims about its viability and safety.
Alleging that such actions were aimed at "damaging" the capital, he said that similar attempts were continuing.
"The dreams of five crore people have been fulfilled with the help of the Centre's sovereign seal. Nobody will be able to change anything in the future," he said.
Noting that there are 50 parties in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, he said, "Despite ideological and personal differences, and no direct connection to Andhra Pradesh's capital, they all supported the Amaravati Bill to safeguard the interests of the country."
Naidu attacked the opposition party, alleging that it has no sense of national interest and is not concerned about Andhra Pradesh's progress.
He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the passage of the Amaravati Bill in Parliament.
The CM said PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for Amaravati in line with the Singapore master plan.
He further said that PM, who had originally laid the foundation stone and later returned to relaunch construction activities, is expected to inaugurate the major projects in Amaravati in 2029.
"Soil from temples and places of worship across the country, along with water from various rivers, was brought for the project, while the prime minister gave soil from Parliament and water from the Yamuna," Naidu said.
The chief minister emphasised that this symbolic act reflected the support of Parliament and the entire nation for Amaravati.
He said the government's vision involves a cluster of nine cities with world-class infrastructure, designed by global architects to ensure long-term development.
To achieve this, the design integrates urban planning concepts such as clean and green infrastructure, underground utilities, and walk-to-work systems.
According to him, an agreement was signed with Singapore for developing the financial district, but it was later cancelled by the previous YSRCP regime, which also damaged the Amaravati brand.
Investments were attracted, with educational institutions establishing campuses, and land allocated to over 100 institutions.
Works progressing at a fast pace were halted, and the three-capital policy created divisions among regions, drawing criticism from the High Court.
Naidu claimed that attempts were made to counter the Amaravati farmers' movement and cases were filed, even as political tensions escalated during that period, and people brought his party back to power.
The chief minister said Andhra Pradesh, formed on a linguistic basis, was left without a capital, and the resolution sent to Parliament was approved, granting legal status.
Naidu said Amaravati would emerge as a hub for education, employment and knowledge, while parallel development was being pursued in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati.
He added that industries were being promoted across regions and major companies were setting up operations, alongside efforts to complete irrigation projects.
Naidu said capital development works worth Rs 56,000 crore were currently underway and would progress in phases, with major milestones expected by 2028.
The CM stated that Amaravati was designed as a self-sustainable project with financial support from institutions such as the World Bank, Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) and others.
Naidu said the state aims to achieve a USD 2.4 trillion economy by 2047, with Amaravati playing a key role in driving growth.
He added that the Centre and state were working together to secure funds for key projects, including Polavaram, Amaravati and other infrastructure initiatives.
The chief minister said the government was implementing short-term, medium-term and long-term plans to rebuild the state's economy and restore growth momentum.
