The Goa government on Thursday issued the Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, effectively delaying the upcoming municipal elections for 11 municipalities in the state that were scheduled for next month.
Political Pressure Behind the Delay
According to sources, MLAs from various constituencies pushed for the postponement of municipal elections until after the assembly elections in 2027. A political observer noted that with three to four aspirants in each municipal ward, MLAs feared that holding municipal elections now could create resentment among their supporters, potentially harming their chances in the assembly polls.
Election Timeline and Delimitation Hurdles
The elections for Bicholim, Pernem, Valpoi, Cuncolim, Curchorem-Cacora, and Canacona were last conducted in March 2021, while Mapusa, Margao, Quepem, Sanguem, and Mormugao went to polls in April 2021. The observer explained that even if elections were announced within a week, they could only be held by the end of May. However, the State Election Commission (SEC) must first complete the delimitation and reservation of wards—a process that remains unfinished.
The SEC has submitted the delimitation file to the government for approval, which is still pending. With the ordinance, the SEC must restart the entire process of delimitation and reservation. “If you go by the timeline set by the government as per the ordinance, the SEC will require a minimum of two to four months to complete the delimitation and reservation of wards, which makes it impossible to hold municipal elections next month as scheduled,” the observer said.
Administrators Appointed for Expired Councils
The government has already appointed administrators for municipal councils whose tenures ended in March. Similarly, administrators will be appointed for councils whose terms expire this month. Mormugao and Margao are the last municipal councils whose tenures will end in May.
Reservation Process Stalled by Data Dependency
For the reservation of wards, the SEC is entirely dependent on the Goa State Commission for Backwards Classes (GSCBC). The SEC cannot finalize reservations until it receives empirical data on political backwardness from the GSCBC. There is no clarity on how to proceed with ward reservations if the GSCBC fails to submit the data on time.
