Three days after Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira was sworn-in as a minister in the state cabinet, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant retained the public works department (PWD) portfolio and allocated the portfolios of Environment and Climate Change, Law and Judiciary, Captain of Ports and Legislative Affairs to Sequeira. "I will try my best to live up to the expectation of the people," said Sequeira. On Sunday evening, after the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, when asked about his discussion with the Chief Minister regarding portfolios, Sequeira said, “If I was the CM I would have selected the portfolio I wanted. That is his prerogative. [In the past] I have been Power Minister, Environment Minister.I also held the most exciting portfolio of Minister of Printing and Stationary.” On Sunday, former PWD minister Nilesh Cabral had tendered his resignation from the cabinet to accomodate Sequeira, who was among the eight MLAs who switched over to the BJP from the Congress in September 2022. Cabral was also holding the portfolios of Law and Judiciary, Environment and Climate Change, and Legislative Affairs. Sawant had said that he requested Cabral to resign in the interest of the party and that a cabinet berth was a 'promise' and a 'commitment' made to Sequeira when he joined the party. Speculations about a cabinet reshuffle to accomodate some of the eight 'turncoat' MLAs, including Sequeira, Margao MLA and former CM Digambar Kamat, and Calangute MLA Micheal Lobo, had been rife for several months. "I am confident BJP will win both in North and South Goa in the polls," Sequeira said on Sunday. Sequiera and seven other party MLAs had switched over to the BJP from Congress in September last year.
