Francisco Sardinha

Francisco Sardinha (born 15 April 1946) is an Indian politician. He was the Chief Minister of Goa from 24 November 1999 to 24 October 2000. Presently, he is a member of the Indian National Congress political party.^[1]

Political career

Sardinha was a member of the Goa Legisative Assembly from 1977-1994. He was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 from Mormugao constituency in Goa. He again became a member of the Goa Legislative Assembly in 1999 and remained in office till 2007. In 1999, he broke away from the Indian National Congress and formed a new political party, the Goa People's Congress (GPC) and became Chief minister of a coalition government in the state together with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He remained in office till 2000. Later, Sardinha's GPC merged with Indian National Congress on 5 April 2001.Became Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly in 2005. He was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in a by-election in November, 2007 from Mormugao. He was re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha in 2009 from South Goa constituency.^[1] Although an incumbent, he was denied the Indian National Congress party's candidature for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat for the 2014 elections. The candidature was instead offered to Mr. Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, a MLA representing the Curtorim Constituency in the Goa Legislative Assembly. Sardinha supported his son Shalom Sardinha who contested the elections as an independent candidate.^[2]

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