Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has refused to halt the election process in the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) polls, rejecting interim relief sought by sitting councillor Nelson Cabral, who challenged the reservation of his ward for Scheduled Tribe (ST) Women. The decision came on the final day for filing nominations.
Cabral, who has consistently represented Ward No 1, had sought permission to contest from the seat after it was reserved following delimitation. He alleged that the reservation was manipulated by “importing” 447 voters from another ward to change its status, calling the exercise “fraudulent.” He requested either a stay on elections in Ward No 1 alone or permission to file his nomination as an interim measure.
The Division Bench of Justice Suman Shyam and Justice Amit Jamshandekar declined to intervene at this stage, noting that courts will not interfere with elections without clear statutory violations. “We need solid grounds to stay this. No emotional arguments will work,” the Bench remarked, describing the dispute as “hyper-technical.”
The Court also rejected unsubstantiated claims of political interference, stating that any individual alleged to be involved must be formally impleaded as a party for the allegations to be considered. “Mala fide allegations cannot be examined unless the person concerned is made a party,” the Bench emphasized.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam, representing the State, defended the reservation process, explaining that it is conducted by the State Election Commission (SEC) following surveys and not by the government. He highlighted that a draft delimitation notification was issued on January 20, 2026, inviting objections from January 21 to 29, and the final notification was published on February 2, 2026. The AG noted that Cabral failed to raise objections during the draft stage and approached the court 18 days after the final notification, just before elections.
While interim relief was denied, the court allowed Cabral the liberty to amend his Writ Petition and file an appropriate application, with notice to respondents returnable in four weeks. The Bench clarified that statutory provisions regarding the reservation exercise will be examined, but any claims of mala fide intent must be properly pleaded and supported.
This ruling clears the way for elections in Ward No 1, now reserved for ST Women, to proceed as scheduled.
