Goa: 39 newly elected MLAs sworn in; 19 first-timers, 3 women

Protem Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar, who is the BJP MLA from Sanvordem, administered the oath of office to the MLAs. The 40-member House has 20 MLAs from the BJP which is set to form the government along with three Independents and two MLAs from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).

The Opposition MLAs include 11 from the Congress, two from the AAP and one each from the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and debutant Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP).

As many as 19 MLAs are first-time legislators. Fresh faces have emerged from across parties, including eight from the Congress, five from the BJP, two from the AAP, two Independents and one from the RGP. The MLAs took the oath of affirmation in English, Konkani or Marathi.

Apart from the 39 MLAs, the 40th member is the Protem Speaker, who was administered the oath by the Governor on Monday.

The House has three women MLAs – one more than the previous assembly – of which two are first-time members. Besides Jennifer Monserrate, who was the revenue minister in the previous government, BJP’s Deviya Rane and Delilah Lobo from the Congress have been elected. Rane and Lobo are both wives of ministers in the previous government.

The Assembly premises in Porvorim came alive ahead of the oath-taking ceremony as the MLAs arrived with their families.

As the homegrown RGP made its debut in the Assembly, 28-year-old Viresh Borkar – who is the youngest member of the House – arrived riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by RGP chief Tukaram alias Manoj Parab.

Goa BJP president Sadanand Tanavade had said on Monday that the next government would be formed after Holi on March 18.

The state went to the polls on February 14 and recorded a voter turnout of 79%.