Manohar Parrikar takes oath as Cabinet Minister: Know more about the technocrat-turned politician

New Delhi, Nov 9: From a RSS pracharak to a Union Minister, technocrat-turned politician Manohar Gopalkrishna Parrikar, a three-time Goa Chief Minister, is known for his administrative acumen and clean image to leave an indelible mark on the politics of the tiny state.

A Mumbai IIT graduate in metallurgical engineering and among the first members of BJP in Goa, 59-year-old Parrikar has been instrumental in raising the profile of his party from its just four members in state assembly in 1994 to its present status as a ruling party with the highest number of seats in the state assembly.

Spearheaded by Parrikar, BJP won 21 out of 40 seats in the 2012 Assembly polls. He was sworn in as Chief Minister in March 2012.

An unassuming man, Parrikar, who had launched a campaign against the Congress-led government on the issue of illegal mining in the State, emerged as the rallying-point for anti-Congress sentiments.

He was the first BJP Chief Minister who had publicly said last year that Narendra Modi, the then Gujarat Chief Minister, should be the face of the party in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Parrikar is considered as a confidante of Modi and stood by him during party’s decision at a key BJP meet in Goa naming the Gujarat strongman as campaign incharge last year.

Parrikar, who is also known for his blunt talk and development initiatives, got the first taste of power in the state in 2000 when he was elected the Chief Minister, becoming the first IITian to head a State Government. He also has an image of being an organised taskmaster.

As a Leader of Opposition, he took on the Congress party to highlight alleged acts of irregularities. His controversial Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report bringing to fore the illegal mining led to a major investigation by Justice M B Shah commission into iron ore extraction activity in the state.

(PTI)