PANJIM: Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Sunday urged the Directorate of Municipal Administration and State Election Commission to act with complete neutrality and independence while deciding on the reservation and election schedule in five municipalities.
Kamat said the Supreme Court Order has made it very clear that the SEC needs to be neutral, unbiased and independent and that the DMA must apply the scientific methodology while reserving the wards.
Any deviation from the same will once again lead to another legal battle.
“The Supreme Court verdict on municipal reservations is loud and clear. I want to warn the DMA and SEC not to come under any pressure of super powers of the BJP government and declare the ward reservations and election dates on merit,” the former Chief Minister said.
He said despite strong objections and warnings from the Opposition, the BJP government adamantly tried to bulldoze the democratic process and went ahead with the reservations of wards in various municipal areas benefiting a select few.
“The BJP government deprived the OBC, SC, ST and women of their constitutional right of contesting elections in the local self help bodies from reserved wards. Ultimately, justice prevailed and the BJP government fell flat on its face for all its misdeeds,” he said.
