NEW DELHI: Despite the Congress party emerging as the single largest party in two small states with hung assemblies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) controversially formed its government in Goa on Tuesday and the governor in Manipur, a former BJP minister, invited its party leader to be sworn in as chief minister in Manipur.

Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar was sworn in as Goa chief minister at the Raj Bhavan in Panaji on Tuesday evening. Nine ministers also took oath, reports said.

Governor Mridula Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to the chief minister and cabinet members.

Former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, BJP national president Amit Shah, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu were among those who attended the event. Ministers who were sworn in included Ramkrishna alias Sudin Dhavlikar, Babu alias Manohar Azgaonkar (Both MGP); Francisco D’Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar (BJP); Vijay Sardesai, Jayesh Salgaonkar and Vinod Palienkar (Goa Forward Party); and Rohan Khavte and Govind Gaude (both independents). After the ceremony Mr Parrikar said that he would prove his majority on Thursday as directed by the Supreme Court.

Portfolio allocation would be taken up after the trust vote, he added. Thanking all the 22 MLAs who submitted letters of support to the governor, Mr Parrikar said, “Let me tell you the truth. All of them stated in their letters that they have decided to put a condition that they will support the BJP to form government only if Prime Minister Narendra Modi relieves Mr Parrikar to Goa to head the government.” The post-election coalition headed by him represents over 50 per cent of the voters, he claimed.

He said the Congress which had approached the Supreme Court was snubbed. In Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla on Tuesday invited a BJP-led combine to form a government in Manipur. “A letter inviting the BJP-led combination to form a government has been sent. The swearing-in will take place tomorrow at 1pm,” an official of the Manipur Governor’s Secretariat told The Hindu.

Mr N. Biren Singh, 56, will be sworn in as the chief minister of the first BJP-led government in Manipur. The Heingang MLA was elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party on Monday. Even though the Congress emerged as the single largest party, winning 28 seats in the 60-member House, the BJP, with 21 seats, managed the support of four MLAs each from the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the National Peoples Party (NPP) and one from the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP).

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2017