Chodankar is a three-time corporator of the Corporation of the City of Panaji, and is likely to have a smooth sailing, as unattached MLA Atanasio Monserrate, whose panel has substantial strength in the CCP declared his support for a BJP mayor, after current mayor Surendra Furtado fell out with Monserrate in view of the bad blood at the Panjim by elections.
Monserrate’s open declaration to defeat the official Congress candidate Furtado, led to the former’s expulsion from the party.
Monserrate has called for a meeting of his corporators on Monday to decide his strategy and to officially nominate his deputy mayor.
Speaking to Herald, CCP commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues said, “The elections for the post of mayor and deputy mayor will be held on March 20.” Furtado and Deputy Mayor Kabir Pinto Makhija’s term ends on March 19, which is also the last date for filing the nominations.
Furtado served as city mayor for the last two terms, when he was backed by Monserrate’s panel in the CCP. Furtado and his wife-Ruth, who had supported BJP in 2012, had switched their loyalty towards Monserrate, and Furtado was elected as mayor twice – in 2013 and again in 2014.
The numbers in the 30-member CCP are equally stacked, with Monserrate and BJP panels both having 14 corporators each, while Furtado and his wife are independent corporators who could earlier tilt the balance when the two panels were at loggerheads.
