Who is Pramod Sawant? - Chief Minister of Goa
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dr. Pramod Sawant |
| Current Position | Chief Minister of Goa |
| Political Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) |
| Assumed Office | 19 March 2019 |
| Constituency | Sanquelim |
| Profession | Ayurveda Medical Practitioner |
| Education | Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery; Master of Social Work |
| Pramod Pandurang Sawant was born on 24 April 1973 in Mapusa, Goa to Pandurang and Padmini Sawant. He completed his Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree from the Ganga Education Society's Ayurvedic Medical College in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Sawant then earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Tilak Maharashtra University in Pune. |
Early Political Career
Sawant began his political journey with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the booth level and rose through the ranks as a dedicated party worker. In 2008, he contested the Pale constituency by-election on a BJP ticket but lost to the Indian National Congress candidate.
In the 2012 Goa Legislative Assembly election, Sawant contested from the Sanquelim constituency and won, defeating the incumbent Congress MLA. He was re-elected from Sanquelim in 2017.
Speakership and Chief Ministership
After the BJP formed the government in Goa following the 2017 assembly elections, Pramod Sawant was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly on 22 March 2017. At age 44, he was the youngest Speaker among all legislative assemblies in India at the time.
Following the demise of then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in March 2019, Sawant was chosen by the BJP to lead the state. He was sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Goa on 19 March 2019 by Governor Mridula Sinha.
Second Term as Chief Minister
In the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly election, the BJP won 20 out of 40 seats, emerging as the single largest party. Pramod Sawant took oath as the Chief Minister of Goa for a second consecutive term on 28 March 2022. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders.
Personal Life
Pramod Sawant is married to Sulakshana Sawant, a chemistry teacher and the current President of the BJP Mahila Morcha's Goa unit. The couple has a daughter named Parthivi, born in 2006.
As an Ayurveda medical practitioner and a second-generation BJP leader, Pramod Sawant has made a mark in Goa politics with his rise from the grassroots to the top executive post in the state. His leadership has played a key role in the BJP's electoral success and political dominance in Goa.