Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The Supreme Court of India has reserved order in Municipal ward reservation matter, the arguments have been concluded in the Special Leave Petition (SLP).
Advocate Atmaram Nadkarni representing the petitioners had appealed the Supreme Court to reject the Special Leave Petition (SLP), Nadkarni also claimed that the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta did not argue the merits of the case as the Govt has violated the rules and regulations.
However, Tushar Mehta during the matter cited judgements which says that courts cannot interfere in the election process to which Nadkarni said that the High Court never said to postpone elections but only to redo the reservations as per constitution.
Further, Sr Adv representing the SEC said that they were mute spectators and that the reservation is done by state government and not by SEC and pleaded that the commission does not want to go into the merit of the matter but large scale arrangements had been done to conduct the polls.
The Apex court had on March 4 quashed the High Court order which had set aside a notification by the Directorate of Municipal Administration on reservation of wards of Mormugao, Margao, Mapusa, Quepem and Sanguem municipal councils.
Following SC order the State Election Commission has rescheduled the elections for the 5 municipalities to March 21 sans final order in the matter by SC. Remaining 6 municipalities and CCP will go for polls on March 20 as per earlier announced schedule.
The Goa government had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order to stall the election process across five Municipalities, which were set to go for polls on March 20, along with six other Municipal councils.
The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court on March 1 set aside a notification issued by the State government’s Directorate of Municipal Administration reserving various wards in five out of 11 civic bodies where elections will be held later this month.
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