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.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
