Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji
Panaji, Nov 19: A fresh wave of political debate has gripped Goa as the state government on Tuesday firmly asserted before the Bombay High Court at Goa that it has fully complied with the Supreme Court-mandated ‘triple test’ required for granting reservation to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in upcoming zilla panchayat (ZP) elections.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam informed the court that the election schedule has been revised, with the ZP polls now tentatively shifted from December 13 to December 20. He further assured that no official notification regarding the final schedule would be issued until the next hearing on November 25. An affidavit detailing compliance with the triple test will also be submitted within a week, he said.
Speaking to reporters outside the court, Pangam maintained that both the Goa State Election Commission and the OBC Commission had meticulously examined all criteria before reserving constituencies.
“They evaluated population statistics, conducted calculations based on official data, and assessed the political backwardness of various communities. Reservations were finalised only after a thorough study,” he said.
The High Court is currently hearing petitions filed by three individuals — Manuel Borges, Moreno Rebelo and Gajanan Tilve — who have challenged the November 6 notification announcing OBC reservations in Nuvem, Curtorim and Anjuna constituencies.
The petitioners argue that the state has failed to satisfy the triple test requirements laid down by the Supreme Court, making the reservations legally untenable.
Borges, an ST voter aspiring to contest from Nuvem, pointed out that the seat, which was reserved for ST women in the 2020 ZP elections, has now been assigned to OBCs despite the constituency having only a negligible OBC population. He also highlighted that the cumulative reservation quota for SCs, STs, OBCs and women in South Goa has soared to 68%, far exceeding the permissible 50% ceiling.
Similarly, Rebelo, a general category voter from Curtorim, said that the constituency — reserved for women in 2020 — has now been allotted to OBC candidates without fulfilling the mandatory triple test.
Tilve, meanwhile, has raised identical concerns over the reservation of the Anjuna seat in North Goa.
As the state prepares to defend its decision, all eyes are now on the High Court hearing scheduled for November 25, which is expected to have significant implications for the ZP election process and reservation norms in the state.