PANAJI
A petition has been filed in the High Court of Bombay at Goa challenging the notification dated November 6 that reserves the Anjuna Zilla Panchayat constituency in North Goa for OBC candidates.
The petitioner has argued that the seat was reserved for women in the previous 2020 ZP elections and contended that the latest reservation lacks justification. The matter is expected to be heard on Saturday.
The notification earmarked 20 Zilla Panchayat constituencies for Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates, while 18 wards have been reserved for women for the December 13 ZP polls.
Elections will be held on party lines for 50 seats across the State — 25 each in North and South Goa. The State Election Commission is likely to announce the election schedule this week, after which the Model Code of Conduct will come into force.
As per the notification, 13 seats are reserved for OBCs, including OBC women – seven in North Goa and six in South. Six seats are reserved for STs, five in North and one in South, while one seat in Querim, North Goa, has been marked for SCs.
In addition, 18 wards – nine each in both districts – are reserved for women, including those from OBC and ST communities.
