Panaji, Nov. 7 -- Goa MLA Sankalp Amonkar was sworn in as a minister in chief minister Pramod Sawant's cabinet on Saturday, filling the vacancy left by the death of former agriculture minister Ravi Naik, ahead of assembly elections expected early next year.

Goa Governor P A Gajapathi Raju administered the oath of office and secrecy to Amonkar in the presence of chief minister Sawant and other cabinet ministers.

Amonkar, one of eight Congress legislators who shifted from the Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as part of a defection led by Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo and others, will become the 12th minister in the Pramod Sawant cabinet.

Speaking on the occasion, Amonkar thanked the BJP leadership at both the state and nationa...