Team Herald
PANJIM: Elections to the five municipalities – Mapusa, Margao, Mormugao, Sanguem and Quepem – which were caught in litigation, are likely to take place on April 22 or April 24.
The State Election Commission (SEC) on Friday held a meeting with the Collector North and South, Deputy Collectors cum returning officers and general observers to review the poll preparedness for the elections in five municipalities along with by-elections to Ward II of Karapur-Sarvan VP and Ward IV of Velim panchayat.
Sources said that polling will most probably take place on April 22 or April 24. “The SEC is expected to make the poll announcement either on Saturday or on Monday,” sources said.
The Supreme Court had directed the SEC to complete the election process in these five municipal councils by April 30.
Speaking to media after the meeting, SEC Secretary Melvyn Vaz said that the meeting was to review the situation as a fresh election process has to be initiated. “No date has been finalised in the meeting. It was just a poll preparedness meeting,” Vaz said.
The entire election process, including acceptance of nominations for the five municipalities, held in February-March, has been declared ‘null and void’.
He also said that the election certificates issued to the candidates elected unopposed also stand ‘null and void’. Three candidates from Quepem municipal area were declared elected unopposed by the Election authority, until the Supreme Court directed a fresh election process.
DMA on March 16 issued fresh notification reserving nearly 53 of the total wards in five Municipalities for women, other backward class (OBC), Scheduled tribes (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC).
