Team Herald
PANJIM: Former Congress MLA and Goa Forward Party (GFP) member Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate on Tuesday has dismissed as rumours that his panel would support any BJP candidate for the post of Mayor.
“I am not supporting any candidate from the BJP panel. The Mayor candidate will be only from the ruling panel. I will reveal the name of the new candidate only after the election notification is out,” said Monseratte reacting to the news reports on Herald
Herald on its Tuesday edition had reported that Monserrate in exchange for him being awarded with the GPPDA chairmanship, struck a deal with the BJP to support hits candidate as the head of the Panjim city Corporation. These deals were apparently struck when Monserrate joined the BJP’s coalition partner Goa Forward Party (GFP) just ahead of the Panjim by-election in August, last year, and extended his support to Parrikar as a part of those deals.
The elections for the post are slated to take place on March 14, bringing an end to the existing second term of Mayor Surendra Furtado and Deputy Mayor Lata Parekh.
Monserrate had earlier confirmed that Asmita Kerkar had been finalised as candidate for the post of Deputy Mayor but now there are speculations that the present Deputy Mayor Lata Parekh would be elevated as the mayor.
It is learnt that Monserrate was apparently upset with his councillors, who last week resolved and nominated Uday Madkaikar for the Mayor’s post.
It was then, the former MLA intervened and directed Madkaikar to withdraw from the race. The controversial councillor, accordingly citing ‘personal reason’ opted out.
“The decision to withdraw was on personal ground,” Madkaikar said refusing to speak further.
On the other hand, Monserrate said, “I will decide who will be the next mayor when the date of the mayoral elections is announced. Right now all councillors are in my mind.”
Madkaikar, had been in the news for all wrong reasons during his last tenure, wherein he was booked by Panjim police in the market illegal shop allotment scam. He is one of the accused in 2008 Panjim police station attack case also.
