MARGAO
All eyes are focused on the High Court, which is expected to dispose of a bunch of petitions challenging the ward reservations unveiled by the Director of Municipal Administration for the municipalities going to the civic polls.
Once the High Court disposes of the petitions on Monday (February 22), the State Election Commission is expected to announce the dates for the municipal polls as well as the detailed election process.
Leaders of political parties and local satraps are also expected to unveil the candidates on their panels post-disposal of the petitions by the High Court.
Representatives of the Goa Forward, Congress and other individuals had challenged the DMA’s ward reservations for the municipalities not just in Margao, but in other civic bodies as well. In fact, the ward reservations had come under strong criticism not just from the opposition parties, but ruling ministers and MLAs, especially in the port town.
The Congress and the Goa Forward had challenged the ward reservation for the Margao Municipal Council on grounds that it was done without merit and logic.
That’s not all. Monday is the D-day for the Goa Forward Chief and Leader of Opposition as they have been anxiously waiting for the High Court to dispose of the petitions at the earliest so that they can clear the set of candidates for the ensuing polls.
While the BJP is believed to have finalized its list of candidates for all the 25 wards of the Margao Municipal Council, both Sardesai and Kamat had kept the process on hold, hoping the High Court will mete out justice by scrapping the reservations, at least in certain wards.
“It does not look good to announce the party candidates when the High Court is yet to dispose of the petitions. No doubt, we have shortlisted a couple of candidates in almost all the 11 municipal wards in Fatorda, but the official names will be out depending on the order,” informed a senior Goa Forward leader.
A similar situation exists in neighbouring Margao. While Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat has kicked off his campaign for the civic polls in Margao, his list of candidates will be released only after the court order.
In fact, Kamat is believed to have covered at least three out of the 11 municipal wards falling under Margao area of the municipality without unveiling the candidates officially.
