Will challenge High Court order on Goa municipal polls

Panaji: The battle for deciding the date of five municipal polls in Goa will soon reach the Supreme Court of India.

Goa Advocate General Devidas Pangam on Tuesday said, that the Goa government has resolved to file a special leave petition before the apex court challenging the order of the Bombay High Court bench on Monday, to postpone elections to five municipal councils citing flaws in notification of reserved wards for women and Schedule Caste persons.

"We have decided that we will file an SLP in the Supreme Court. When an election process is imminent, COurts cannot adjourn it. Cases can be filed after an election process is over. We are going to SC on this principle," Pangam told reporters.

While postponing elections to the five municipal councils of Margao, Mapusa, Mormugao, Sanguem and Quepem, the HC on Monday had allowed six other municipalities and one municipal corporation to conduct polls as notified by the State Election Commission.

The Opposition, which has accused Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led coalition government of allegedly manipulating the process of delimitation of municipal wards and their reservation for women, other backward castes, SC and ST candidates, had maintained that the High Court order was a vindication of their accusations.

The High Court was hearing several petitions filed by officials of political parties challenging the reservation procedures adopted by the Goa government.