Goa Minister and Former CM Ravi Naik Dies
Panaji: Goa’s agriculture minister and former chief minister Ravi Naik passed away on Wednesday following a heart attack, family sources said. Sources said 79-year-old Naik suffered a heart attack in his hometown, 30 km from Panaji. He was transferred to a private hospital in Ponda town, where he was pronounced dead around 1 am.
He left behind his wife, two children, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. The last rites will be performed on Wednesday at 15:00.
His body was brought to his home at Khadpabandh in Ponda, where thousands of people gathered to pay tribute to the leader.
Paying tribute to Naik, Goa CM Pramod Sawant said his leadership, humility and contribution to public welfare will always be remembered.
“Deeply saddened by the demise of our senior leader and Cabinet Minister, Shri Ravi Naik Ji. A stalwart of Goan politics, his decades of dedicated service as the Chief Minister and Minister in important positions left an indelible mark on the Governance and people of the state.”
“His leadership, humility and contribution to public welfare will always be remembered. I offer my sincere condolences to his family, friends and supporters in this time of grief. Om Shanti,” Sawant wrote to X.
Over the years, Naik has been a seven-time MLA (six times from Ponda assembly constituency and once from Marcaim assembly constituency) as a candidate of parties such as Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Congress and BJP.
He was first elected to the state legislature in 1984 on an MGP ticket from Ponda constituency and successfully contested the 1989 elections from that party in Marcaim assembly constituency.
Naik was consistently elected from Ponda assembly constituency in 1999, 2002, 2007 and 2017 on Congress ticket and in 2022 on BJP ticket.
Naik was a two-time chief minister of the coastal state, first from January 1991 to May 1993, when he led a coalition government comprising the Progressive Democratic Front.
In 1994, he became Goa’s shortest-serving chief minister. His term lasted only six days, from April 2 to April 8 that year.
Naik was also a Member of Parliament from North Goa in 1998 as a Congress candidate.
