Goa Municipal Elections likely by Feb-end or Mid-March: Delimitation of Wards this Week

Panaji: The state election commission (SEC) will soon propose to the government the schedule for holding elections to the 11 municipal councils and the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).

A highly placed source at the state Secretariat told ‘The Navhind Times’ on Tuesday that currently two dates are being discussed at the government level, and holding the CCP polls along with municipal council elections is also being considered by the government.

“The elections may be held either by February-end or mid-March. The government and the SEC are yet to take a final call. There is a high possibility that the SEC may send the poll schedule in the next two days to the government for approval,” the source said.

He said voting for the 11 municipal councils will be through ballot papers, while for the CCP elections, the electorate will exercise their franchise through the Electronic Voting Machines.

In view of the current situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Goa, the SEC, in August 2020, postponed the elections to the municipal councils for a period of three months. It is pertinent to note that the municipal council elections were supposed to be held on October 18, 2020.

The source also claimed that the SEC, in consultation with the government, may also consider holding the election to the Navelim Zilla Panchayat segment simultaneously with the municipal elections.

It is pertinent to note that the election to the Navelim ZP seat had been countermanded due to the demise of one of the contesting candidates.

Final decision on delimitation of wards this week

A decision on delimitation of wards of ‘B class’ municipal councils of Bicholim, Curchorem and Quepem, confining the civic bodies to a maximum of 14 wards, will be taken this week by the state government.

As per the latest proposal, the Bicholim municipality, with 12 wards, will get two additional wards, while in case of Curchorem municipality, there will be an addition of one ward to increase and take the number of wards to 14. The wards of Quepem civic body will be increased from ten to 12, which is the minimum limit.

There is no proposal for delimitation of wards of other municipalities or the Corporation of the City of Panaji.

“We have moved a proposal before the government to increase wards to a minimum of 12 and maximum of 14, in Bicholim, Curchorem and Quepem municipalities. However, the decision to amend the Municipal Act to facilitate the increase in the number of wards will be taken by Friday,” an official in the municipal administration said.

The term of office of the 11 municipal councils of Bicholim, Cuncolim, Curchorem-Cacora, Canacona, Mapusa, Margao, Mormugao, Pernem, Quepem, Sanguem and Valpoi expired on November 4, 2020.

The elections were slated to be held on October 18. However, the State Election Commission postponed the municipal elections by three months due to the pandemic.

Source: Navhind Times