Pramod Sawant gets second term as Chief Minister of Goa
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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Aditya Birla Group-led consortium acquires RCB for USD 1.78 billion
Bengaluru (PTI): A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) on Tuesday acquired 100 percent equity stake in IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a whopping USD 1.78 billion (approximately Rs 16,706 crore) from its current owner the United Spirits Limited.
Other parties involved in the group are -- Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE, a firm of which Viral Patel is the CEO, Bolt Ventures, owned by American investor David Blitzer, and media conglomerate Times of India.
“United Spirits Limited, pursuant to the meeting of its Board of Directors, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements for the sale of the 100 percent equity stake held in its wholly owned subsidiary Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) to a consortium,” the USL said in a statement.
“The consortium comprises Aditya Birla Group (ABG), The Times of India Group (Times), Bolt Ventures (Bolt), and Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE (Blackstone) for a total consideration of INR 166.6 bn in an all cash transaction,” the statement added.
The transaction includes RCB's men’s and women’s (WPL) teams.
“RCSPL owns and operates Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchises that participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL).
“Upon completion of this transaction, the consortium will, through its ownership of RCSPL, acquire the rights to own and operate the IPL and WPL franchise,” said the USL.
The announcement also concluded the strategic review of RCSPL that was initiated by USL on November 5, 2025.
The United Spirits Limited is a subsidiary of UK-Diageo, and they were keen to move away from RCB as the team was not central to their business plans.
Commenting on the transaction, Praveen Someshwar, MD & CEO, USL, said: “This transaction marks an important milestone for USL as we sharpen focus on our core beverage alcohol business to unlock its true potential. RCB has grown into the most prominent and commercially successful franchise in the IPL and WPL.
“We are excited for the future of RCB under the stewardship of the new owner. As Sports enters a new phase of growth in India & globally, we believe this is in the best interest of the franchise and our stakeholders.”
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, “Over the past 2 decades, the IPL has morphed to become a global sporting powerhouse that has changed the face of Indian cricket creating enormous value for India.
“RCB, as one of the most compelling franchises in modern sport, offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive platform to extend its legacy of institution-building into the arena of global sport.”
As per the sale agreement, Aryaman Vikram Birla, ABG’s director, will be the chairman of RCB while Satyan Gajwani of Times of India will be his deputy.
Aryaman Birla, said: “It is a privilege to come together in this partnership to shape the next phase of growth for RCB. This partnership brings together a deep understanding of sports, media and consumer businesses.
“Together, we will continue to Play Bold -- on the pitch, in the community, and for the fans who make RCB what it is.”
Gajwani, Chairman, Times Internet Limited, said: “RCB is the reigning champion and the most popular brand in the IPL. We will build RCB into a global sporting institution, while remaining rooted in Bengaluru and Karnataka and its incredible fanbase.”
Blitzer hoped to build on RCB’s recent success.
“RCB has a world-class fanbase, and the IPL is one of the great growth stories in global sport. Having invested in clubs and leagues around the world, I believe the opportunity at RCB stands out.
We look forward to working alongside our partners and the BCCI to build on the franchise’s championship success,” he said.
Patel praised the RCB as one of the strongest sporting brands in the world.
“We are excited to invest in RCB, building on Blackstone’s long-standing commitment to India. RCB stands out as one of the most popular sports franchises in the world with a powerful brand, a loyal fan base, and multiple avenues for growth,” he added.
However, formalities such as ratification from the BCCI, IPL Governing Council, its WPL counterpart and the Competition Commission of India are still pending.
Earlier, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals was acquired by US-based Kal Somani-led consortium for USD 1.63 billion (approx Rs 15,290 crore),
The Somani-led consortium includes Rob Walton from the Walmart family and Hamp family (Ford motor company).
Somani is an Arizona-based tech entrepreneur who has founded IntraEdge (technology services and solutions), Truyo.Ai (data privacy rights and AI governance) and Academian (edtech services).
The other contenders to buy the team, which won the inaugural trophy in 2008, were the Times Internet-led consortium, the Aditya Birla Group and the Mittal family led by ArcelorMittal CEO Aditya Mittal.
