Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Goa unit has called for urgent steps to implement Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation in the Goa Legislative Assembly before the 2027 Assembly elections.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Goyal, BJP Goa President Damu Naik said the ST community, despite being a significant section of Goa’s population, continues to remain without reserved representation in the 40-member Assembly.
Referring to the legislation that received Presidential assent last year for the readjustment of representation of Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Legislative Assembly, Naik said the process now awaits notification of the “appointed date” by the Central Government to begin the delimitation exercise.
The BJP urged the CEO to coordinate with the Election Commission of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate the notification and ensure that demographic and census-related data required for the exercise are kept ready.
Naik said implementing ST reservation before the next Assembly elections is a matter of social justice and democratic inclusion. He cautioned that any delay could deny the tribal community its constitutionally mandated representation for another five years.
The memorandum has also been forwarded to the Chief Election Commissioner in New Delhi for necessary action.
