Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Mar 24: The Bombay High Court on Monday issued notice to the Goa Government on a petition seeking directions to release the list of reserved wards for the upcoming Margao municipal elections, expected to be held in May.

The petition was filed by councillor Nimesia Faleiro, who stated that there is still no clarity on which wards will be reserved and under which categories, making it difficult for candidates to prepare for the polls.

Representing the petitioner, senior advocate Nitin Sardessai, along with Siddharth Nunes, submitted that the high court had earlier observed in 2021, in the context of zilla panchayat elections, that reservation lists should be declared at least eight weeks before the election notification.

However, amendments to the Goa Municipalities Act in 2021 allow authorities to publish the reservation list as late as one week prior to elections, a provision that has now been challenged by Faleiro.

A subsequent amendment in 2022 provides that the process of delimitation and reservation will be carried out by the State Election Commission in consultation with the government.

Faleiro argued that such consultation could give the ruling party prior access to the reservation details, potentially placing opposition candidates at a disadvantage.