Panaji(PTI): As he prepares to start a fresh innings as the Goa Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant has turned a new page in the state's political history after leading the BJP to a victory in the Assembly polls, a development that shows the saffron party has come out of the shadow of its tall leader late Manohar Parrikar.

On Monday evening, Sawant, who considered Parrikar as his mentor, was unanimously elected the leader of BJP legislature party in Goa, clearing the way for him to take over as the chief minister for a second term.

The BJP, in power in Goa since 2012, is starting its third straight term in office.

The BJP under Sawant overcame anti-incumbency and resignations by some key figures, including Parrikar's son, over ticket allocation, and put up its second best performance ever - winning 20 seats in the 40-member Assembly in multi-cornered fights in the February 14 polls.

Sawant, who took over as chief minister for the first time in March 2019, brought the BJP tantalizingly close to the simple majority mark of 21, defying pre-poll predictions of a hung Assembly.

He has now been rewarded with a second term in office by the BJP leadership with support for his incoming government coming from two MLAs of the regional outfit MGP and three Independent legislators.

The BJP's best performance till date had been 21 seats won by it in 2012 when Parrikar dominated Goa's political scene.

The 48-year-old politician is a three-time MLA from Sankhalim in North Goa. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly when the BJP formed its government under the leadership of Parrikar in 2017.

He was sworn in as the chief minister for the first time in March 2019 after the death of Parrikar.

The Ayurveda medical practitioner is considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and was pictured participating in an RSS event during his first term as the chief minister.

Sawant was at the helm when the coastal state faced the COVID-19 pandemic along with other parts of the country.

Sawant's electoral career began in 2008 when he was fielded from the Sankhalim (then Pale) Assembly segment by the BJP, but he lost to Congress candidate Pratap Gauns.

However, he managed to win the seat in 2012 when the BJP contested the elections under the leadership of Parrikar. That was the only time when the BJP won a majority on its own in the Assembly.

He got re-elected in 2017 from Sankhalim and went on to become the Assembly Speaker before being chosen by the BJP, at the age of 46, to succeed Parrikar as the CM.

In the 2022 polls, Sawant was elected with a margin of 666 votes against his nearest rival Dharmesh Saglani of the Congress.

His wife, Sulakshana, is also an active BJP worker and associated with the party's women's wing in Goa.

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New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI): A day after a deadly stampede at the New Delhi railway station claimed 18 lives, the station remained overcrowded on Sunday with thousands of passengers struggling to board trains amid heavy rush.

Despite additional measures, the influx of passengers -- many of them Maha Kumbh pilgrims travelling to the city of Triveni Sangam -- continued with the sheer volume of travellers making the situation difficult to handle for authorities.

Foot-over bridges, staircases and platforms were packed with anxious travellers, many of whom were unaware of special train schedules leading to confusion. Long queues before water stalls added to the chaos, while passengers carrying heavy luggage struggled to navigate through the surging crowds.

The Saturday's stampede occurred at around 10 pm when a surge of passengers, confused by a mix-up in train announcements, rushed towards platform 16 via a narrow stairway.

Trapped between those trying to move up and others trying to descend, the crowd turned into a human bottleneck. Within minutes, panic spread, and people began falling, leading to a horrifying crush.

Yet, the congestion remained largely unchanged several hours later, with thousands still jostling for space on platforms and foot-over bridges.

"Even after what happened on Saturday, the situation is the same. We are trying our best, but the number of people is too high," said an RPF officer stationed at platform 16.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were closely monitoring the situation, looking inside trains through windows to assist passengers and using small microphones to give instructions. They were seen urging travellers to wait for the next special train to Triveni Sangam, where the world's largest gathering, Maha Kumbh, is taking place.

Senior RPF officials, including DCP (Railways) K P S Malhotra and Special CP Robin Hibu, kept inspecting crowd management on platforms 14, 15, and 16 at regular intervals.

Delhi Police officials were also present to assist in controlling the massive rush.

With general tickets being issued at an estimated rate of 1,500 per hour, the passenger surge continued to strain resources.

Prayagraj special trains are departing at more than double their capacity, with people clinging to doors, stuffing themselves into packed compartments, and even climbing through train windows in desperation.

In the New Delhi-Bihar Sampark Kranti Express, which does not even travel to Prayagraj, the rush was so intense that passengers pushed and shoved their way into the train. RPF personnel had to physically close doors to prevent further overcrowding.

In a distressing incident, a girl aged around 15 years was seen crying inside the overcrowded train due to suffocation, while her mother, who couldn't board the train due to the rush wept helplessly.

"Don't worry, you will reach safely," she said, trying to reassure her child as the packed train departed, leaving many families separated.

"The number of people inside the train was so high that no one could even move. If anything had gone wrong inside, it would have been impossible to get out," said a stranded passenger.

Additional RPF personnel were deployed, and senior officials making regular rounds of the station to monitor the situation. The foot-over bridge and staircase, where Saturday's disaster unfolded, remained crowded as pilgrims rushed towards their trains.

Railway officials acknowledged that the passenger surge is overwhelming but said efforts are being made to manage the situation.

The rush to Prayagraj is expected to continue for days, making crowd control a constant challenge. The ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj will continue till February 26.

"We are working at full capacity, but managing such a large number of passengers is not easy," said an RPF official.

Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered a high-level inquiry into the stampede and announced additional special trains to manage the rush.

Two senior officials have been appointed to investigate the causes of the stampede, but on the ground, the crowd remains difficult to manage.