NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Following the Supreme Court order, the State Election Commission (SEC), on Wednesday, approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa, seeking extension of time for the completion of election process in 14 wards of nine panchayats, where the issues of reservation and delimitation have cropped up.
“As per the High Court order, the entire election process to 186 panchayats ought to be completed by June 17, and hence the commission has sought extension of time from the court to re-hold the election process in these concerning wards as it is not possible to restart nominations in short time and conduct the elections,” said Devidas Pangam, advocate representing the SEC.
The matter was not heard on Wednesday as it was produced before the single bench and hence it is scheduled before the High Court’s division bench on June 5.
The High Court on May 24 had stayed the reservation and delimitation exercise in some wards after some aspirants approached the court with a plea that the rotation policy of reservation of wards was not followed and it was made without following the criteria, and hence the government knocked the door of the Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stayed the order of the High Court, which means that the SEC has to discard the nominations of the general category and re-invite nominations from the reserved category for these particular wards.
Meanwhile, Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho said that the elections for these particular wards cannot be held on June 11.
“As it stands today because of peculiar situation, the SEC will not be able to hold elections on or before June 11, The polls for these de-reserved wards are bound to be postponed. Let’s see what the High Court decides,” said Godinho.
It is learnt that the SEC has stopped printing ballot papers for these 14 wards of nine panchayats, however, the ballot papers are being printed for others wards.
“The elections will be held as per the schedule announced by the commission i.e. June 11, and incase of these 14 wards, we will follow the High Court order as an when the judgment is pronounced,” said a senior official of the SEC.
