Goa agriculture minister and ex-chief minister Ravi Naik passes away at 79

Goa’s Agriculture Minister and former Chief Minister, Ravi Naik, passed away early on Wednesday following a cardiac arrest, family sources confirmed. He was 79.

Naik suffered a cardiac arrest at his hometown, around 30 kilometres from Panaji, and was rushed to a private hospital in Ponda, where doctors declared him dead around 1 a.m. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. The final rites will be performed at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

His mortal remains were brought to his residence in Khadpabandh, Ponda, where hundreds of supporters and well-wishers gathered to pay their respects to the veteran leader.

Expressing condolences, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant described Naik as “a stalwart of Goan politics.”
“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 Chief Minister and Minister across key portfolios have left an indelible mark on the state’s governance and people,” Sawant wrote on X.

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“His leadership, humility, and contribution to public welfare will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and supporters in this moment of grief. Om Shanti,” he added.

Naik had a long and distinguished political career spanning nearly four decades. He was elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly seven times — six from Ponda and once from Marcaim — representing various parties including the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He entered the Assembly for the first time in 1984 as an MGP candidate from Ponda and won again from Marcaim in 1989. Later, he secured successive victories from Ponda in 1999, 2002, 2007, and 2017 on a Congress ticket, and once more in 2022 representing the BJP.

Naik served twice as Chief Minister of Goa. His first tenure, from January 1991 to May 1993, saw him lead a coalition government under the Progressive Democratic Front. His second stint, in April 1994, lasted only six days, making it the shortest in the state’s history.

He also represented North Goa in the Lok Sabha in 1998 as a Congress MP.

Naik’s death marks the end of an era in Goan politics, leaving behind a legacy of public service and political resilience.

With PTI Inputs