PANAJI:
The North Goa Principal District and Sessions Court has reserved its verdict for October 31 on a petition challenging the recent Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) elections over alleged breaches of ballot secrecy and voter confidentiality.
The petition, filed by Vishnu Naik, questioned the validity of the election process and alleged that the manner in which ballot papers were numbered compromised the secrecy of voting. The plea further claimed that ballot papers and their counterfoils carried identical numbers, making it possible to trace the vote cast by an individual voter. It also alleged violations in ward delimitation.
The respondent councillors, during the hearing, sought dismissal of the petition, arguing that the District Court lacks jurisdiction to decide challenges to the validity of the Rules governing the election and that such a challenge falls within the jurisdiction of the High Court. The court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on October 31.
