Panaji: Goa got representation in Modi 3.0 cabinet with the swearing in of North Goa Member of Parliament Shripad Naik as the Minister of State by the President of India.
The state was represented by Naik in the earlier both the tenures of PM Narendra Modi in different capacities. Except for the time between 2014 till 2017 when Manohar Parrikar was selected as Union Minister for Defence, the state always had Naik as a lone representative in the Union Cabinet.
Naik has won for the sixth consecutive term from North Goa seat with a whopping lead of one lakh votes, defeating former union minister Ramakant Khalap in 2024 election.
He is the longest serving Member of Parliament from Goa, who started his stint in the year 1999 and since then has been winning all the Lok Sabha elections.
Naik was currently Minister of State for Tourism and Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India since the year 2021 till this Lok Sabha election.
He has held portfolios including Minister of State (Independent Charge) AYUSH, Minister of State for Defence and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Culture and Tourism.
