PANAJI: Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) Mayor Uday Madkaikar will continue as the mayor while corporator Vasant Agshikar will be the new deputy mayor replacing Pascoala Mascarenhas.
The names of Madkaikar and Agshikar were cleared following talks between Panaji MLA Babush Monserrate and BJP general secretary Satish Dhond on Tuesday evening. After Monserrate joining the BJP in July last year, both the panels - Panaji City Corporation Development Front belonging to Monserrate and the BJP-supported Panaji First have come together.
For the last four years, the deputy mayor's post was shared by three women corporators and now it was decided to nominate Agshikar. When contacted, Madkaikar claimed that the deputy mayor's post was not reserved and open to all councilors. He said that their panel had decided to elect woman corporator to the post, with Lata Parekh occupying the post for first two years followed by Asmita Kerkar and Pascoala Mascarenhas being in office for one year each.
According to reliable sources,, the BJP had earlier decided to nominate three-time corporator Diksha Mainkar for the deputy mayor's post. But by evening the party decided to nominate Agshikar, a first-time corporator for the post.
As per the CCP Act, the election has to be held every year to elect a new mayor and deputy mayor besides CCP committees. There is also no provision of voting out a mayor through no-confidence notice. 10