Delimitation exercises leave voters split across multiple wards
PANAJI
Panaji’s electorate is facing mounting confusion as repeated delimitation exercises have left hundreds of voters split across multiple wards, often within the same household.
Residents are complaining that families living under one roof have been divided into two or even three wards in some cases, while flats in the same building are inexplicably assigned to different wards.
Veteran journalist and Fontainhas resident Jovito Lopes, who has witnessed the city’s electoral shifts since 1954, described the situation as “Jalas Paije” -- a colloquial term for chaos.
He noted that voters are shuffled from one ward to another almost every election, with little clarity on the methodology.
The reservation roster has compounded the problem, leaving many residents stuck in reserved wards for three successive election cycles.
Some voters have also found themselves in a ward reserved for women one year, only to be shifted to a ward reserved for OBCs the next, raising questions about fairness and transparency.
Residents argue that the lack of consistency undermines both ethics and professionalism in governance.
“Ethics should guide what is right and wrong, while professionalism demands competence and accountability. Both seem to be missing here,” Lopes observed, calling for a participatory approach to restore credibility.
The controversy is now pending adjudication in the Supreme Court of India.
As Panaji prepares for yet another election slated to be held on March 11 with results to be declared on March 13, voters in many areas remain uncertain about which ward they belong to and which polling station (booth) they are to cast their vote -- a situation that has eroded trust in the electoral process and highlighted the urgent need for transparent and truly independent oversight of ward delimitation.
