MARGAO
After creating history in the 2020 Zilla Panchayat polls when the Aam Admi Party opened its account in Goa’s electoral politics by winning the Benaulim seat, the fate of Aam Admi Party (AAP) Benaulim ZP member Hanzel Fernandes hangs in balance.
While Hanzel has disclosed plans to knock the doors of the Supreme Court for justice, the disqualification petition filed against him is coming up for hearing before the Administrative Tribunal in October.
A day after the High Court has set aside the caste certificates issued by the deputy Collector, Margao based on which he had contested the ZP polls on the OBC reserved category, and which now makes him liable for disqualification as the ZP member, Hazel told The Goan that he has decided to challenge the High Court order in the Supreme Court.
“My contention on the matter was not taken cognizance of by the Court. Hence, I have decided to challenge the High Court order in the Supreme Court”, he said.
After the High Court’s pronounced its order in the matter, Hanzel’s legal counsel had applied for a stay for a period of six weeks. The Court, however, did not accede to the request, observing “after concluding that the respondent does not belong to the class that is included in the State list of OBC, we do not think that it would be appropriate to stay our judgment and order. Accordingly, the request for a stay is not acceded to”.
The AAP Benaulim candidate had made history when he scripted a victory in the Christian-dominated constituency in the 2020 polls, defeating candidates fielded by the Congress and the Nationalist Congress party (NCP)
In fact, the victory in the 2020 ZP polls had given a big boost to AAP, which was hoping to get a foothold on the political map of the tiny state. Given that Hanzel had emerged triumphant by defeating the NCP candidate when the constituency was represented by party MLA, AAP leaders led by incumbent Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas went all out and succeeded in wresting the seat in the 2022 Assembly polls.
