Madkaikar to contest as independent

PANJIM, FEB 16
Sitting corporator of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Uday Madkaikar on Wednesday filed his nomination as an independent candidate for the forthcoming civic elections on March 13, a move that could be a direct challenge to Taleigao MLA Babush Monserrate.    
Madkaikar was dropped by Monserratte from his panel abruptly on February 2. He was replaced by Prajat Vainginkar in ward number 17. He was part of the Babush panel in the 2006 election and had polled 560 votes beating the BJP-backed candidate in the ward by around 200 votes.
Talking to reporters, Madkaikar said it was only because of public support he has decided to contest the coming civic polls. “People from my ward have extended their full support to me. They have forced me to file the nomination,” he mentioned.
When questioned whether the move meant a direct challenge to the Taleigoa strongman, the corporator replied, “I am not contesting to challenge Monserratte. I am here for my people and not for any rivalry.”
He said all the scams in which he was allgedly involved were politically motivated. Earlier this month, Panjim police had registered two complaints against him for cheating two shop owners in the Panjim Municipal Market.
In a complaint on February 10, the shop owner Altaf Jamadar had alleged that the corporator had first accepted money from him for allotting a shop in the municipal market and the same was later given away to another person.
In the second complaint filed on February 15, a shop owner Shaikh Mustak had stated one of the shops allotted to him by the sitting corporator had been transferred on someone else’s name.