Panaji | October 15, 2025:
Goa today mourns the demise of one of its most seasoned and respected political figures, Ravi Sitaram Naik, who passed away following a cardiac arrest. He was 79 years old. Naik, who was serving as the MLA from Ponda, held key portfolios as Minister for Agriculture, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and Handicrafts, Textile & Coir in the BJP-led Pramod Sawant Cabinet.
With a political career spanning over five decades, Naik was among Goa’s longest-serving legislators and one of its most influential leaders. He served as Chief Minister of Goa twice, in 1991–1993 and briefly again in 1994, leaving a lasting mark on the state’s political landscape.
Born and raised in Ponda, Naik began his political journey with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) before joining the Indian National Congress (INC), where he emerged as a key leader through the 1980s and 1990s. He was first elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly in 1984 from Ponda, and later represented Madkai in 1989.
Over the years, he held several important positions, including Leader of the Opposition in 1999 and Deputy Chief Minister in the BJP-led government from 2000 to 2002. After decades in the Congress, he resigned in December 2021and rejoined the BJP, contesting and winning the 2022 Assembly Election from Ponda.
As a cabinet minister in the current Dr. Pramod Sawant-led government, Naik played an active role in shaping Goa’s agricultural policy, strengthening civil supply mechanisms, and promoting rural handicraft and coir industries. He was widely respected for his administrative acumen and deep connect with grassroots politics.
Despite facing political challenges and controversies — including a 2018 SIT probe into a police-drugs-politician nexus, in which he was later given a clean chit — Naik’s credibility and political stature remained largely untarnished.
His son, Ritesh Naik, currently serves as a Councillor in the Ponda Municipal Council, continuing the family’s involvement in local governance.
Ravi Naik’s passing marks the end of an era in Goan politics. From his early role in the anti-merger movement to his long service in multiple governments, he witnessed and shaped Goa’s journey through every phase of its modern political history.
Tributes have poured in from across party lines, remembering him as a visionary administrator, steadfast leader, and one of the most enduring pillars of Goa’s political establishment.
