Digital Goa, August, 25 – High Court has upheld the Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, clearing the way for delimitation and reservation of wards for elections to 11 municipal councils. The Court has directed the Goa State Election Commission (SEC) to complete the election process on or before January 2, 2027. Advocate Somnath Karpe, counsel for the SEC, said the Court disposed of all petitions challenging the ordinance. He said the prayers seeking to declare the ordinance illegal and to prevent its application to the forthcoming elections were rejected. The Court also rejected the challenge to the SEC’s decision that the exercise undertaken under the earlier law would no longer apply, Karpe said. The ordinance empowers the SEC to determine the number of wards and undertake delimitation and reservation, including OBC reservation, while providing for inviting and deciding public objections.
