Sawant becomes longest serving CM since statehood

Soiru Velip

Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant completes five years in office on Tuesday, March 19. He becomes the first Goa Chief Minister to remain in office for a continuous period of five years since statehood in May 1987.

Sawant was sworn in as CM on March 19, 2019, after the demise of then-CM Manohar Parrikar on March 17, 2019.

He was once again sworn in as CM on March 28, 2022, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious with 20 seats in the 2022 assembly elections.

Sawant has also become the longest-serving Chief Minister of the BJP in the state. Currently, he enjoys the support of 32 MLAs in the 40-member Goa legislative assembly.

Parrikar was sworn in as CM on four occasions. However, he did not complete his full tenure. He was at the helm for four years and 247 days. Parrikar tenures as CM were from October 24, 2000, to June 3, 2002; from June 3, 2002, to February 2, 2005; from March 9, 2012, to November 8, 2014; and from March 14, 2017, to March 17, 2019.

Another BJP leader, Laxmikant Parsekar, served as CM for two years and three days, from November 8, 2014, to March 14, 2017.

As Congress CM, Digambar Kamat had completed his full tenure from June 8, 2007, to March 9, 2012. However, as the general elections to the Goa legislative assembly were announced three months earlier in 2012, he could remain in the post for four years and nine months.

After Goa attained statehood on May 30, 1987, then Congress Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane could remain in office till January 9, 1990, and later from January 9, 1990, to March 27, 1990.

Seasoned politician Churchill Alemao was in office as the CM for 18 days, from March 27, 1990, to April 14, 1990, followed by Luis Proto Barbosa from April 14 to December 14, 1990. Later in the 1990s, Rane, Ravi Naik, Wilfred D’Souza, Luizinho Faleiro, and Francisco Sardinha also served as chief ministers; however, none of them could complete a five-year term.