The Supreme Court of India rejects to interfere with Bombay state supreme court order on Goa panchayat polls

Vacation Bench denies the State’s plea to postpone the polls till the tip of September

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to interfere with a Bombay High court order to finish elections to 186 panchayats in Goa within 45 days.

A Vacation Bench led by Justice Dinesh Maheshwari refused a plea by the State of Goa to postpone the polls till the tip of September.

The Bench noted that the notification for the elections was issued on June 30 in compliance with the judicature order on June 28. "That being the position, we discover no reason to interfere within the process of election," the court observed.

The counsel for Goa argued that the term of previous panchayats was completed only on June 18.

Conducting polls within the middle of the continued monsoon season, when the danger of flash floods was high, would strain the State’s resources reserved for relief work. Besides welfare works like construction of roads and financial grants for the flood-affected would need to stop thanks to the model code of conduct.

“We are quite desirous to fits the election process. Give us time till the third week of September and that we will complete the method,” the State counsel said. The court however failed to relent.

“We find no reason to interfere with the court order or the method of elections. However, within the interest of justice, the State committee is liberated to move the court seeable of any difficulty,” the Bench, which also comprised Justice Krishna Murari, noted.