Team Herald
PONDA: Following in the footsteps of the locals of Sakhalim Municipality, the citizens of Ponda approached the High Court on Thursday, challenging the ward reservations and delimitation process in the upcoming elections. Both local bodies’ tenure will end next month, and the election process has already begun. Ponda Municipality councillor Pradeep Naik and a few aspiring candidates, including two former councillors and two locals, have filed a petition in the High Court. Naik expressed his dismay as his ward, number 8, has been reserved for the third time, as has ward number 11. He pointed out that ward number 8, was reserved for women in 2013, for OBC in 2018, and is now reserved for women again. “This is the third time this has happened, the ward should now be reserved for the general category,” he said.
The delimitation process of the wards is also being challenged, with votes from one ward being split and shifted to several other wards.
This has caused confusion among aspiring candidates and voters alike. Ponda voters have also complained that not only are the wards being divided, but even votes within families are being split. Husbands and wives in the same house are being forced to vote in different wards, with the children being made to vote elsewhere as well. Moreover, it has been discovered that some wards are not being reserved, even though they went to the polls under the general category twice before.
