BJP has lost the civic polls following HC order: GFP

MARGAO: After the High Court halting the election process in five municipal councils, the Goa Forward Party (GFP) on Monday demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and alleged that the BJP had lost the municipal elections following the order.

 “The BJP cannot win anything without cheating and it was only through chicanery that they won the ZP elections and were now trying to manipulate the municipal elections through anti-women, anti-ST and anti minority stance, GFP supremo Vijai Sardesai charged briefing media persons. 

“The High Court order today has come as a ray of hope to everyone as the BJP had given the impression that they were managing the judiciary but the judiciary has shown its independence and importance as a pillar of democracy,” he said.

He said the BJP government tried to go against the High Court order pronounced on December 11, 2020 that had directed the government to do the reservation of wards adopting the rotation system and announce the reservations three months prior to the date of elections.

“However,  the government tried to amend Section 10 of the Goa Municipalities Act to announce the reservations only one week before the date of elections,” he said adding that ‘this was ultra vires of the constitution.’

He said, “The government transferred the IAS officer as State Election Commissioner and converted the Directorate of Municipal Administration into “Dhond Municipal Administration”. 

Cautioning the government servants against blindly following the State orders, he said, “The government servants will end up spending their pension in paying their lawyers as there will be cases filed against them for their illegalities.”  He said, “The court has already recommended punitive action against the State Chief Election Commissioner.”

Vijai said, “The election schedule was announced on February 22, just to make the petition infructuous”. He lauded the High Court for not only hauling the administration for its misdeeds but also cancelling the election process in five municipal councils.

He said, “Dr Pramod was making a mockery of the election process and has to resign for bringing in autocracy instead of democracy.” Sardesai said the chief minister would not last for long with his purchased MLAs and cautioned the media from being mere voiceovers to the government.

“Pramod Sawant has to resign as chief minister and the State Election Commissioner has to be kicked out of Goa,” he demanded.