The timely intervention of the High Court has exposed the politically manipulated reservation of municipal wards that the ruling BJP was attempting to get away with. The HC verdict has also exposed the lack of autonomy and independence in the functioning of the State Election Commission. However, the court’s deliverance of justice would be complete only when the officials and politicians responsible for these skewed and slanted reservations are brought to book and penalised.
The court has rightly stopped this absolute fraud on the very democratic process which if allowed would have been a sheer mockery of the electoral process. It is anguishing that the SEC abdicated its Constitutional duty and allowed the whole process to be dictated and driven by the politicians in power.
The SEC is a constitutional authority that has to function independently. For over four months Goa is without an SEC while the charge has been given to the Law Secretary. How can you expect a bureaucrat who is working under the government to function impartially?
In other States, the delimitation and reservation of wards are done by the SEC. Unfortunately in Goa, this work is entrusted to the Director of Municipal Administration.
It is imperative that delimitation and reservation should both be entrusted to the SEC with proper rules and guidelines framed and that there is no interference from ministers and ruling MLAs in this process which ought to be totally transparent and extremely fair beyond any doubt.
The appointment of SEC for Goa must be expedited and the person must function independently and not tolerate any meddling from politicians. There is an urgent need to restore the sanctity of the electoral process.
