Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Oct 10: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has quashed the State Election Commission’s (SEC) September 9 notification on ward delimitation for elections to 11 municipal councils, ruling that the exercise violated the statutory requirement of consultation with the state government.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar, in a 22-page order, directed the SEC to follow a revised schedule for completing ward delimitation and reservation of seats. The court ordered the commission to consider objections to the draft delimitation and publish the final notification by October 26, 2026.

The Bench directed the SEC to place all 77 objections to the draft ward delimitation, reports and maps prepared by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), detailed orders on the objections and other relevant documents before the government to facilitate meaningful consultation under Section 10(3) of the Act.

“We would expect, for a meaningful consultative process, before finally notifying the delimitations of Wards, the SEC to lay before the Government all the 77 objections, the Reports and Maps prepared by the EROs and the detailed orders passed by the SEC demonstrating application of mind as to why the objections stood rejected,” the Bench observed.

It noted that the relevant material had not been placed before the government and held that the SEC had issued the notification “in complete breach of provisions of Section 10(3) of the Act mandating consultation with the Government”.

The court said the SEC had failed to communicate the material forming the basis of the delimitation exercise or wait for the government’s views before issuing the notification.

The Bench observed that the commission had ignored the government’s views and proceeded to publish the delimitation notification without completing the consultation process required under the law. It also noted that the SEC had been given the liberty to seek an extension of the deadlines fixed in the court’s August 25, 2026, judgment but had instead proceeded with the notification “in a hot hurry”.

While setting aside the September 9 notification as arbitrary and contrary to law, the court directed the SEC to immediately forward the complete file, including objections, ERO reports, orders, delimitation maps and other relevant records, to the state government.

The court has also laid down a revised schedule for reservation of seats. The Goa State Commission for Backward Classes must submit its report and data to the SEC by November 26, 2026, while the SEC must publish the draft reservation notification by November 30. December 30 has been fixed as the deadline for filing objections.

The SEC must complete consideration of the objections, consultation with the government and publication of the final reservation notification by January 19, 2027.

The notification declaring elections to the 11 municipal councils is now scheduled to be issued on February 19, 2027.