With the crucial Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections around the corner, the Goa government has made significant announcements regarding reservations and a public holiday to facilitate voting. In a move aimed at empowering women in local governance, the state has reserved the top post in North Goa for a female candidate.
Reservation of Key Leadership Posts
The General Administration Department issued a notification on Monday detailing the reservation pattern for the upcoming elections. In North Goa, the position of Zilla Panchayat Adhyaksha (chairperson) has been reserved for women. However, the post of Upadhyaksha (deputy chairperson) in the northern district will remain unreserved.
The scenario is reversed in South Goa. Here, the Adhyaksha post will be unreserved, while the Upadhyaksha post has been specifically reserved for women candidates. This strategic reservation is expected to influence the political strategies of various parties contesting the polls.
State-Wide Paid Holiday for Polling Day
In a bid to ensure maximum voter participation, the state government has declared Saturday as a paid holiday across Goa. This holiday is specifically for the day of polling for the Zilla Panchayat elections.
The notification clearly states that the holiday will be applicable to a wide range of workers, including:
- Industrial workers and daily wage workers of government departments.
- Employees of state government industrial departments.
- Commercial and industrial workers in private establishments.
- All private establishments.
- Daily wage or casual workers employed in any business, trade, or industrial undertaking.
This measure is designed to enable every eligible voter to exercise their franchise without the barrier of work commitments.
High-Stakes Electoral Battle Takes Shape
The election campaign has intensified, reaching its peak as political parties fine-tune their last-minute strategies for victory. A total of 226 candidates are in the electoral fray across the state's 50 ZP constituencies.
The breakdown shows a keenly contested battle. In North Goa, 111 candidates are trying their luck across 25 constituencies. Similarly, South Goa has 115 candidates competing for its 25 seats. The competition is particularly fierce, with reports indicating that almost 40 ZP constituencies are witnessing a four-cornered fight among candidates.
As parties go back to the drawing board for final strategic adjustments, these announcements on reservation and the polling holiday set the stage for a decisive democratic exercise in Goa's grassroots governance.
