MARGAO
When the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court had ordered de-reservation of the three wards of Betalbatim and the Kirbhat ward of Nuvem panchayat, smiles lit the faces of the prospective candidates from the general category planning to throw their hat in the electoral ring.
Reason: They had all along contended that all the four wards reserved for the OBC category in these two village panchayats had either little or no OBC population. Based on the High Court order, they had filed their nomination papers and kicked up their campaign in their respective wards before the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order.
With the State Election Commission taking a decision to hold fresh election for these four wards, the general category candidates along with the OBC candidates will now be called by the Returning Officer on Thursday to his office for a reason unheard of in recent times “ that the ongoing election process has been scrapped in the wake of the Supreme Court order.
In fact, Returning Officer for the Betalbatim and Nuvem village panchayats Vishal Kundaikar told The Goan on Wednesday that he is awaiting written instructions from the State Election Commission intimating of the decision to scrap the process before calling the candidates for a hearing.
“Most probably I will call the candidates from the three wards of Betalbatim and lone ward of Nuvem on Thursday to convey to them about the decision on the scrapping of the election process. They will also be informed about the decision to kick-start the entire process afresh in these wards,” Vishal said.
A candidate from the general category, who had filed his nomination paper for Ward No 5 of Betalbatim village panchayat, Roger Afonso, however, said that he and other candidates are still hoping that the High Court will do justice to them. “Hearing in the case will come up in the High Court and we expect that justice is done for us. But, one thing is clear that there’s hardly any OBC population in the three wards of Betalbatim,” he said.
Residents of Betalbatim who called up The Goan on Wednesday lamented that grave injustice will be caused to the general category voters, who constitute majority voters in ward 3, 5 and 7, if the wards are again reserved for the OBC category. Dunstan D’Costa told The Goan that the ground reality is totally different as the three wards hardly play host to any OBC population.
Similar sentiments were expressed in the ST dominated Kirbhat ward of Nuvem (No 10) which will be again reserved for the OBC after the SC order.
