SANGUEM: Former Chairperson of Sanguem Municipal Council Romualdo Fernandes filed a petition before the Goa Bench of Mumbai High Court at Panjim challenging the reservation of Ward No. 1 of Sanguem Municipal Council from where he got elected last time. The ward was reserved for Schedule Tribe candidates.
Fernandes said his petition is admitted and the hearing is reportedly fixed on Monday, February 15.
Fernandes said, “Ward No. 1 has only around two ST voters and reserving the same for ST voters in highly questionable.”
Moreover, Fernandes pointed out that in the last elections, Ward No. 7 was reserved for ST candidates.
“As per the rotation criteria, for the upcoming elections Ward No. 8 should have been reserved for ST candidates. If not it should have been Ward No. 9. The authorities cannot directly jump to Ward No.1 from Ward No. 7,” claimed Fernandes in his petition
The petition also states that there is sizeable population of ST voters in Ward No. 4 and Ward No. 10.
The authorities should have reserved either of these wards for ST candidates but definitely not Ward No. 1 which hardly has any ST voters.
Fernandes said vide letter dated December 20 last year addressed to DMA, he had duly pointed out the above facts as he had doubts of his ward being likely to be reserved for ST candidate.
“Despite my letter, the DMA reserved Ward No. 1 for ST candidate,” he added.
