PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa issued notices in a bunch of petitions challenging the ward reservations and delimitation of wards that have been filed before the High Court including a petition by the Congress and Goa Forward parties challenging the decision of the government.
The High Court has posted the matter for final disposal for next Monday on February 22.
The reservation and delimitation of wards have been the source of much consternation among political parties and aspirants including within the BJP, with its own MLA Carlos Almeida even calling for the sacking of Urban Development Minister Milind Naik and his dismissal from the party for what he said was working against the party’s interests.
Back in December after a bunch of people knocked on the doors of the courts fearing ‘unjust’ reservations, the Bombay High Court at Goa took on record and accepted a statement by the Goa government that they will make known the delimitation and reservation for the upcoming municipal elections at least three weeks prior to the date of notification of the schedule of the municipal elections.
The petitioners had approached the High Court seeking that the court issue a writ to the State Government to issue notifications for delimitation of constituencies and for reservation of seats for municipal elections at least thirty days prior to the notifications of the schedule for such elections, as and when such elections are due.
“By accepting the statement made by the Advocate General and directing the authorities concerned to act accordingly, we dispose of these petitions. However, we feel that it would be better if there is some statutory provision made in this regard so that both the candidates desirous of contesting the elections, as well as the voters are quite clear about the issue of delimitation and reservation before the actual announcement of the election schedule,” the High Court had said.
