PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the State government to issue a revised date for notifying elections to Goa’s 11 municipal councils on February 19, 2027, after quashing the State Election Commission’s (SEC) September 9 ward delimitation notification over violation of the statutory requirement of consultation with the government.
The Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar, in its 22-page order, set a fresh timeline for completing ward delimitation and reservation of seats, directing the SEC to complete the consideration of objections to the draft delimitation and publish the final notification by October 26, 2026.
The court directed the SEC to place before the government all 77 objections to the draft ward delimitation, reports and maps prepared by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), detailed orders on the objections and other relevant material to enable meaningful consultation under Section 10(3) of the Act.
“We would expect, for a meaningful consultative process, before finally notifying the delimitations of Wards, the SEC to lay before the Government all the 77 objections, the Reports and Maps prepared by the EROs and the detailed orders passed by the SEC demonstrating application of mind as to why the objections stood rejected,” the Bench observed. “None of this material was obviously placed before the Government,” it said, holding that the SEC had published the notification “in complete breach of provisions of Section 10(3) of the Act mandating consultation with the Government”.
The court said the SEC had failed to communicate the material forming the basis of the delimitation exercise and had proceeded without awaiting the government’s views.“We are of the opinion that in the present case there has been neither communication of the material by the SEC, which would form the basis and substratum for the consultative process contemplated by Sub Section 3 of Section 10, but instead of there being some deliberation on the serious matter of delimitation of the Wards, the SEC has chosen to completely ignore the Government views or even await them, and has in a hot hurry proceeded to publish the delimitation, in contravention of the mandate of the Act,” the Bench said.
The court noted that the SEC was given liberty to seek an extension of the deadlines fixed in its August 25, 2026, judgment but had instead proceeded with the notification “in a hot hurry”. While quashing and setting aside the September 9 notification, declaring it arbitrary and contrary to law, it directed the SEC to immediately forward the complete file, including the objections, ERO reports, orders, delimitation maps and other relevant records, to the government.
Under the revised schedule, the Goa State Commission for Backward Classes must submit its report and data to the SEC by November 26, 2026. The SEC must publish the draft reservation notification by November 30, with December 30 set as the deadline for filing objections.
The SEC must complete consideration of the objections, consultation with the government and publication of the final reservation notification by January 19, 2027. The notification declaring the municipal elections is scheduled for February 19, 2027.
