PANAJI
Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, whose writ runs large over the power-play at the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), retained his son Rohit in the mayor’s post for the third year in a row.
On Thursday Rohit was elected unopposed again his being the only nomination received for the top post.
Meanwhile the Panaji MLA also retained the Deputy Mayor, Sanjeev Naik, who too was elected unopposed on Thursday. This will be Naik’s second term.
The ruling group of councillors owing allegiance to Monserrate has a strength of 24 in the 30-member Corporation. At the time of the election, they had actually won 25 seats but one of its senior most councillors, former mayor Uday Madkaikar, rebelled reportedly for being overlooked for the top post.
Monserrate junior was first elected mayor in March 2021, soon after the election. Vasant Agshikar was elected the deputy mayor then. A year later post the bitterly fought assembly election for the Panaji seat, while Rohit was retained as mayor, Agshikar was replaced with Naik.
