New Delhi: The current Chief Ministers in Goa and Manipur -- Pramod Sawant and N Biren Singh -- will get second terms, sources in the BJP told NDTV today after a series of meetings at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to discuss the leadership issue. Pramod Sawant will be the Chief Minister of Goa and N Biren Singh will head the government in Manipur again.
The oath ceremony will be held after Holi. The two leaders met PM Modi today.
While the leadership in Uttar Pradesh was in no doubt, there was suspense over the top posts in Goa and Manipur. Both were states where the BJP formed government despite the Congress emerging as the largest single party.
This time, while their outright win in Manipur and emergence as the single largest party in Goa were seen as an endorsement for the current Chief Ministers. In both states, however, there were other aspirants for the post and a possibility of growing factionalism in case of wrong choice.
In Manipur, where the BJP had not formally declared a Chief Minister face, there was factionalism with Biswajit Singh being a strong contender for the post.
There was also a third candidate -- Konthoujam Govindas Singh, the former state Congress president. Sources said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP, played a key role in his inclusion in the party in August 2021.
Goa saw a race between Pramod Sawant and Vishwajit Rane, who had been projecting himself as a frontrunner for the Chief Minister's post.
The buzz that Mr Rane is the BJP high command's choice for the post got stronger as Mr Rane called on the Governor last week. He, however, dismissed the reports, calling it a "courtesy visit".
Mr Sawant was said to have the backing of the state unit of the party.
The BJP emerged as the single largest party in Goa, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state assembly and decimated Congress to 11 seats.
In Manipur, the BJP secured a majority, reducing other parties to single digits. Going solo, the BJP won 32 of the 60 assembly seats in Manipur.
On Monday and Tuesday, top leaders of the BJP met PM Modi at his residence to discuss the question of government formation in four states. The central leadership had already had multiple rounds of consultations with the state leaders to pick the best candidate.