CM says ready to give up own seat if reserved for female candidate

Panaji: While there is no clarity whether the number of assembly seats in Goa will increase once 33% of the assembly seats are reserved for women, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that he would not have any misgivings if his constituency of Sanquelim was reserved for women.

Sawant said that clarity on the increase of seats in the Goa Legislative Assembly will be available only after detailed deliberations with the Centre.

“There is no final clarity as yet as to whether it is 33% of 40 seats in the state assembly,” said Sawant. “How many seats will increase in the assembly of a small state like Goa is still a question. Discussion on the bill will bring clarity on the issue.”

Sawant said that while the reservation formula is clear at the national level, with 33% translating to 273 seats in the Lok Sabha, the situation remains uncertain at the state level.

He was speaking at two events to raise awareness about the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, also known as the Women’s Reservation Bill. Sawant said that Goa is looking forward to the implementation of 33% reservation for women.

Union govt has proposed increasing the number of seats in state and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate the quota. However, the exact number of additional seats required, particularly in smaller states like Goa, which currently has a 40-member assembly, has not yet been decided.

He said that each state would have to pass bills to provide 33% reservation for women, which will be implemented based on the 2011 Census figures. He said that the aim is to ensure reservation of seats for women in the 2029 general elections.

At one point, Sawant hinted that Goa’s seats could go to 45 but quickly added that there is no certainty. He then said that irrespective of the outcome, he would “not mind if constituencies remain at 40 or even if my own constituency is reserved for women.”

Sawant added that discussions on the bill are expected to bring clarity, especially regarding how the reservation will be implemented in large states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and smaller states like Goa and Tripura.Get real-time updates and result insights on the CBSE 12 Result 2026.