Goemkarponn desk
PORVORIM: Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho today said that the state government has sent the file about conducting elections to the Advocate General (AG) for his opinion.
“The state government has sent the file pertaining to conducting elections to the Advocate General (AG) for his opinion. The State Election Commission (SEC) had recommended to the government that elections must be held,” said Godinho.
He further said that the state government thinks elections must be held after the monsoon season.
Godinho said that both – the government and State Election Commission (SEC) – are facing a situation wherein a Supreme Court judgment has made it mandatory to follow the triple test for reservation of seats.
“Only after the triple test, we can declare the elections. In such a situation, we have decided to approach the AG for his legal opinion to guide us on what would be legally tenable on holding the election process,” he said.
With the State government recommending the postponement of elections to 186 village panchayats, due by June 19, by almost three months, the State Election Commission (SEC) has asked the government to approach the “appropriate court of law” for permission to postpone.
Godinho said that in the current circumstances, elections might be held after a few months and not immediately, considering that the monsoon is approaching.
“As per the judgment itself, if the administrator has to be appointed, the period between the expiry of the term and conduct of the fresh election should not be beyond six months,” he said.