Goa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lucky charm

NEW DELHI: Goa is a lucky charm for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi had survived as Gujarat Chief Minister at the national executive of BJP held in Goa after the 2002 Gujarat riots with the backing of leaders like L K Advani and the late Pramod Mahajan.

He was also declared the campaign committee chief of BJP at its national executive in Goa in June last year, which later paved the way for his being declared as the party's PM candidate.

In fact, his first visit outside Delhi after becoming the Prime Minister was to Goa, which has struck it rich in the expansion of the Union Council of Ministers.

The tiny state has got a Cabinet Minister for the first time in the form of Manohar Parrikar.

Besides, it is a double bonanza for the state under the Modi rule as it already has representation with Sripad Naik being Minister of State (Independent charge).

This is in stark contrast to the UPA days from May 2004 to May 2014 when the state failed to get a single representative in the central government.

In earlier years, Ramakant Khalap was Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent charge) in the United Front government some two decades back.

Eduardo Faleiro of Congress was also a Minister of State in the Narasimha Rao government.