the goan I network
MARGAO
Government’s controversial notification on reservations of zilla panchayat seats has reached at the doorsteps of Bombay High Court at Goa.
Days before the process of filing of nomination papers for the March 22 elections could kick start from February 2, former two-time South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Nelly Rodrigues on Monday filed a writ petition with a plea to strike down the reservation of Colva seat for OBC candidate and permit her to file her nomination papers for the Colva seat pending disposal of the petition.
In her petition, Nelly pointed out that the government has wrongly reserved the Colva seat for OBCs when it ought to have been done in the next term. Terming the reservation as arbitrary, irrational, unintelligible and confusing, the four-time Colva ZP member said there’s no discernible method or formula by which the reservation was done. “The reservation smacks of malafides and appears to be a colourable execise of power to oust the petitioner and destroy her political career completely”, Nelly said.
She said she is not aligned with the present political dispensation in the state and therefore believes that she has been targeted by reserving Colva for OBC so that the petitioner is out of the fray and there is no difficulty for the BJP and its leadership in getting their person elected as Chairperson since the Zilla Panchayat elections are being held on party lines.
Saying that she was optimistic of creating history of being the only woman Zilla Panchayat member having been elected for four consecutive terms, Nelly said the notification threatens to end the petitioner’s political career.
Nelly has prayed to the court to issue a writ, order or direction quashing and setting aside the government
