Panaji
The directions now allow the SEC a period of 25 days to begin the election process afresh and hold the polls on or before July 2.
The Commission had approached the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking to hold the elections in these wards at a later date in view of the topsy-turvy nomination process.
The order is likely to affect a total of 15 wards spread across 11 panchayats.
While the Directorate of Panchayats in its notification had declared certain wards as ‘reserved’ in panchayats across the state, independent petitioners had approached the High Court seeking a stay on these reservations.
Subsequently, these orders of the High Court were stayed by the Supreme Court, thus returning the situation to status quo ante.
In view of this, and in an attempt to have a nomination process that was seen to be fair, SEC sought that the process of nominations be re-initiated in these wards.
The High Court had earlier, while disposing a bunch of petitions, ordered that the state government should hold elections on or before June 12, when the government had earlier sought to hold them on June 25.
Prior to the Supreme Court’s order, the court had clarified the elections would go ahead as planned since no order was issued to the SEC to postpone any election.
Dr Durgaprasad has said that SEC is yet to receive any order from the court, but they would abide by the order and Supreme Court directions.
“As and when a copy of the order is made available, we will take a decision in the matter,”
Dr Durgaprasad said.
