Newly elected Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's government passed the floor test on Wednesday with the support of 20 lawmakers. Sawant took over the reins of the state after the demise of four-time chief minister and former defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday. Sawant was sworn-in in a ceremony at 2am on Monday as the saffron party managed to keep its allies together after hectic negotiations.

Talking about Parrikar, Sawant had said: “I will try my best to fill in the large shoes. I won't be able to be as tall as Parrikarji. But I will give my best.” When asked about the need for two deputy CMs in a small state, he termed it coalition compulsions.

The crucial transition of power in the coastal state necessitated by Parrikar's death on Sunday capped frenzied political developments, with the Congress too staking claim to power. Sawant’s swearing-in ceremony was initially scheduled to be held at 11pm on Monday but it was pushed back, with the allies seeking to extract their pound of flesh.

The new government has two deputy chief ministers, Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLA Sudin Dhavalikar, from the two small parties backing BJP in the coastal state. Apart from the CM and his two deputies, nine other ministers of the state cabinet were also sworn in at the ceremony.

The nine other ministers are Manohar Azgaonkar, Rohan Khaunte, Govind Gaude, Vinod Palienkar, Jayesh Salgaonkar, Mauvin Godinho, Vishwajit Rane, Milind Naik and Nilesh Cabral. Michael Lobo, currently the deputy speaker, will be speaker till a new one is elected.

Sawant, along with union minister Nitin Gadkari, went to stake claim to form the government after midnight as power-sharing talks with the alliance partners continued till late.

The new CM said the party had given him a huge responsibility, and gave credit to Parrikar for his rise. “Whatever I am today is all due to Manohar Parrikar. It was he who brought me to politics. I became the Speaker and the CM today, due to him,” he said after meeting the Governor.

Sawant was elected leader of the BJP legislature party at a meeting held in the state capital minutes after Parrikar was given a state funeral with full military honours. BJP chief Amit Shah and Gadkari met the legislators before the formal resolution was passed.

The Goa Congress slammed Governor Mridula Sinha for giving the BJP a chance to form the government, and called her an "agent of the BJP".

Parrikar was heading a coalition government comprising the BJP, three MLAs each of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the MGP and three independents. The strength of the House has reduced due to demise of BJP MLA Francis D'Souza earlier this year, and Parrikar on Sunday, and resignations of two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte last year.