HC seeks responses on Goa municipal elections ordinance

Panaji: The Bombay high court on Tuesday sought responses from Goa govt and state election commission (SEC) on two petitions challenging an ordinance empowering SEC to carry out delimitation and reservation for municipal elections.The court posted the matter for final hearing on June 10.One petition, filed by Trajano D’Mello, seeks directions to conduct elections to 11 municipal councils immediately.It states that the councils’ terms expired in April 2026 and that the ordinance was promulgated at the 11th hour, after administrators were appointed to run the bodies.“Failure to conduct municipal council elections is in direct breach of Article 243U of the Constitution, which unequivocally requires that elections to constitute a municipality shall be completed before the expiry of its duration,” the petition states.D’Mello’s advocate, Abhijit Gosavi, argued that the ordinance introduces a new procedure for delimitation, reservation and elections,which could delay the process by at least six months. This, he said, defeats the mandate of Article 243U.In a separate plea, Mapusa voter Shitesh More, who intends to contest, sought time-bound elections based on the pre-existing delimitation and electoral framework.He has sought the ordinance be set aside.