The Goa government’s appeal to the Supreme Court, against the directive of the High Court to conduct the overdue Panchayat elections by August 12 to postpone Panchayat Elections has been dismissed. The Goa government had filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court challenging the High court’s order to complete Panchayat elections by 12th August 2022 and had appealed to postpone the elections because of heavy rains. However, the elections will now be held as scheduled.
Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho had said that the government had nothing to gain from delaying the panchayat elections since they are not party-based, while the Opposition Leader Michael Lobo said reservation data only from OBC Commission was acceptable. Meanwhile, certain groups had objected to the reservations done by the State Election Commission.
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The decision to go to the Supreme Court is a U-turn from the government’s previous stand. Advocate General Devidas Pangam had initially declared that there was no time for the Goa government to approach the Supreme Court on the holding of the Panchayat Polls within 45 days, now the government seems to be bent on challenging the HC judgment. BJP State President Sadanand Tanavade said BJP did not want to do injustice to the OBCs by not giving them reservations. However, earlier the government had given other reasons such as approaching monsoons, change of dates by the SEC, etc.
