Nearly a week after he was sworn in, the Goa Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane allocated portfolios to his ministers on Tuesday.
The former Bharatiya Janata Party ministers who had crossed over to the Congress retained their old portfolios, while two Congress members in the Cabinet refused to accept any ministry until the government proved its majority on the floor of the House.
Former BJP minister Pandurang Madkaikar retained the transport and revenue portfolios, while Sudin Dhavalikar of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party retained public works department, fisheries and archives departments. Independent MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues was allotted water resources.
Isidore Fernandes, who along with Atanasio Monserrate had led the revolt against the BJP, was allotted the industries ministry.
Given the dicey situation in the assembly, the survival and stability of government is dependent on the support of MGP, Nationalist Congress Party and the former BJP MLAs, whose resignation triggered the chain of events leading to the fall of the Manohar Parrikar government.
"Both Congress ministers, Luisinho Faleiro and Dayanand Narvekar, have refused to accept a portfolio for now. Dr Wilfred D'Souza of NCP will handle tourism for now and we may consider giving him more ministries later," Rane said.
On whether there would be two deputy chief ministers, Rane, who was sworn in on February 2 soon after the dismissal of the Parrikar government, said, "Yes. There will be two posts. I don't mind having two deputy chief ministers. In fact they are all my DCM's."
However, he did not say whether the two DCMs would be Rodrigues and D'Souza, whose names were doing the rounds.
