Tawadkar, Kamat Join Goa Cabinet in Reshuffle
BJP strengthens team ahead of 2027 polls
BJP MLAs Ramesh Tawadkar and Digambar Kamat were sworn in as ministers in Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s Goa cabinet on Thursday at Raj Bhavan, with Governor Ashok Gajapathi Raju administering the oath of secrecy. The ceremony, attended by Sawant and BJP Goa president Damu Naik, marked a strategic reshuffle following the resignations of Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira and the dismissal of Govind Gaude in June 2025.
Tawadkar, 57, resigned as Goa Assembly Speaker hours before the induction, a post he held since March 2022 as the state’s first tribal MLA in that role. Representing Canacona, he was first elected in a 2005 bypoll from Poinguinim, winning again in 2007, 2012, and 2022, though he lost in 2017. Previously, he served as a minister from 2012 to 2017, managing portfolios like agriculture, tribal welfare, and sports. “I’m a party soldier, ready to serve,” Tawadkar said, accepting the BJP’s directive.
Digambar Kamat, 71, a former Congress Chief Minister (2007-2012), joined the BJP in September 2022 with seven other Congress MLAs. Representing Margao since 1994, Kamat’s induction strengthens BJP’s South Goa presence. “I thank PM Modi and CM Sawant for this opportunity,” he told reporters. The reshuffle, ahead of 2027 elections, aims to balance representation, with Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar tipped as the next Speaker.
Also Read: Goa Speaker Tawadkar Resigns for Cabinet Role
Posts on X, like @GoaPulse, hailed the move: “Tawadkar’s tribal roots and Kamat’s experience bolster BJP’s strategy.” Analysts suggest this reshuffle counters opposition narratives, though some MLAs’ exclusion sparked murmurs of discontent.
