Questions mount as Margao Municipality ward remains without women’s quota for over 3 decades
File photo of Margao Municipal Council building.
MARGAO
The process of delimiting municipal wards has been set in motion, with the State Election Commission (SEC) issuing a notification that fixes the number of wards across Municipal Councils slated to go to polls in May. Assistant Electoral Officers appointed by the SEC are currently undertaking the delimitation exercise, which will be followed by the reservation of seats for various categories of voters.
Amid this backdrop, Pajifond — a ward under the Margao Municipal Council in Fatorda — finds itself at the centre of a long-standing and contentious issue: Will women finally receive reservation in the upcoming municipal elections?
For many, the question is both simple and overdue. Women in Pajifond have waited decades for an opportunity to contest from a reserved seat. Remarkably, the ward has not been reserved for women for the past 35 years — spanning seven consecutive municipal elections. This is despite constitutional provisions mandating 33 per cent reservation for women in local bodies, a principle repeatedly endorsed by both the SEC and the State government.
The issue is not new. Nearly a decade ago, women’s rights activist Auda Viegas approached the High Court seeking justice on the matter, but the effort did not yield results.
Data accessed by The Goan highlights the anomaly: while Pajifond has been reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and, at times, kept open for the general category, it has never been reserved for women during this period.
Historically, the ward has been represented by prominent figures. Three decades ago, the late Santosh Raiturkar served two terms and later rose to become the civic chief. He was followed by Raju Naik, who held the seat for 15 years across three terms, enjoyed a stint as the Municipal vice-chairperson, before being defeated by Angelis Pereira in the 2015 municipal polls. Naik, however, made a comeback in the 2021 elections, winning against multiple candidates to re-enter the civic body.
As the delimitation exercise progresses, the absence of women’s reservation in Pajifond continues to raise questions within the Margao Municipal Council and among local residents. With the upcoming polls approaching, all eyes are now on whether authorities will address this long-standing imbalance and finally provide women in Pajifond a fair chance to enter the electoral fray via the reservation mode.
The issue gains further significance against the backdrop of changes in the council’s composition. The SEC has fixed the number of wards in the Margao Municipal Council at 24, down from the existing 25, which will necessitate a renumbering of wards. Even if the number is increased to 27, as proposed in a Cabinet decision, the reconfiguration of ward boundaries is expected to alter their character — a development that could potentially complicate or even derail the prospect of reserving the Pajifond ward for women.
Pajifond was set for reservation in 2021, but later opened to general category
In a dramatic turn of events during the 2021 municipal elections, Pajifond ward had initially been earmarked for reservation for women when the State Election Commission (SEC) finalised the delimitation and seat allocation.
The move was widely welcomed by women’s groups and civil society. Women’s rights activist Auda Viegas had, at the time, urged women voters from Pajifond to seize the opportunity and step forward to contest the elections. The decision was welcomed by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, hailing the decision to reserve the Pajifond seat for women.
Echoing similar sentiments, BJP leader and former two-time Fatorda MLA Damu Naik — who had earlier backed the demand for women’s reservation in 2015 — publicly hailed the decision, stating that justice had finally been delivered to the women of Pajifond.
However, the optimism proved to be short-lived. The entire delimitation and reservation exercise soon came under legal challenge, first in the High Court and later in the Supreme Court, leading to a comprehensive review of the process. In the subsequent reshuffle, Pajifond was inexplicably dropped from the list of wards reserved for women.
In a surprising twist, the ward was ultimately reclassified under the general category, once again denying women the opportunity to contest from a reserved seat. The reasons behind this reversal remain unclear, raising further questions about the transparency and consistency of the reservation process.
BJP’s ‘Nari Shakti’ pitch faces test in Pajifond
MARGAO: As the delimitation process for the Margao Municipal Council wards gets underway, questions are being raised over whether the BJP will address a long-standing grievance of women in Pajifond, a locality in the Fatorda Assembly constituency.
The issue assumes significance in light of the party’s repeated emphasis on “Nari Shakti” as a rallying call for women’s empowerment. Despite this positioning, women from Pajifond have reportedly been denied reservation in municipal polls for decades, sparking concerns about equitable political representation.
BJP Goa State President Damu Naik is well aware of the issue. In 2021, he fielded a woman candidate from Pajifond for the Margao Municipal Council elections, even though the ward had been categorised as a general seat. This came after the delimitation process was challenged in both the High Court and the Supreme Court.
With a fresh delimitation exercise now in progress, the spotlight is once again on the BJP leadership. Observers and local residents alike are watching closely to see whether the party will take concrete steps to ensure fair representation for women in Pajifond and address what many describe as a persistent injustice.
