Panaji: The 26 strong BJP coalition out of a 40-seat legislative assembly as MLAs, laid claim for the forming of a new Government, ever throwing Digambar Kamatled Congress rule in Goa on Thursday and BJP leader Manohar Prabhu Parrikar (another GSB) on March 9 Friday took oath for the third time as chief minister with an absolute majority along with 4 other legislators out of 21 BJP had as ministers in his government. The new ministers are Matanhy Saldanha a Union leader Dayanand Mandrekar, Laxmikant Parsekar and MGPs Ramakrishna Dhavalikar and one more.

The Oath-taking ceremony was not held at the Raj Bhawan as was the usual practice but on an open ground with Goa Governor K. Sankaranarayanan reading out the oath to all six ministers. There was no deputy CM among them.

BJP chair man Nitin Gadkari, Venkaiah Naidu senior leaders L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Ravi Shankar Prasad were present on the historic occasion.

The claim to rule was laid on March 6. Congress lost face with only 9 MLAs including ex-CM Digambar Kamat of Madgaon