From daijiworld's special correspondent
Panaji, Jun 25: After much deliberations and discussions, Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat finally expanded his four-member cabinet by inducting eight more legislators and taking the total to twelve..
Though Kamat managed to keep his alliance partners happy, lone woman legislator Victoria Fernandes, a senior congressman, was left fuming. She resorted to hunger strike protesting against the injustice meted out to her during expansion.
The expansion which had six Congress, one NCP and an independent legislator being sworn in by govenor S C Jamir in the presence of chief minister Digamber Kamat left out Fernandes, who was aspiring for a ministerial berth.
Dayand Narvekar, Joaquim Alemao, Manohar Azgaonkar, Pandurang Madkaikar, Philip Nery Rodrigues and Aleixo Sequeira from Congress, along with Fransisco Pacheco (NCP) and Vishwajeet Rane (Independent) were sworn in today.
The much-awaited cabinet expansion has given equal representation to all the alliance partners including independent Vishwajeet, son of Goa speaker Pratapsingh Rane.
In the first phase, Kamat had inducted Ravi Naik (Congress), Jose Philip D'Souza (NCP) and Ramakrishna Dhavalikar (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party).
Soon after the swearing in, the chief minister announced that he would declare the portfolios by evening or tomorrow.
What seems to be the worst side of Monday's development was fast-unto-death announcement by woman legislator Victoria Fernandes, who expected a cabinet berth. Fernandes, who had hard time defeating Jennifer, wife of controversial town and country planning minister Atanasio Monserratte, was left in lthe lurch today.
"Congress president Sonia Gandhi herself had promised a cabinet berth to me as I am the lone female legislator,'' she told reporters speaking at the hunger strike site in the city. Fernandes' supporters had gathered around her on the spot.
"`This is a grave injustice,.....," she said.
Fernandes said that she will continue her hunger strike till she gets a `word' from Sonia Gandhi.