Goa: Women, ST and OBC to contest more seats as ZP map reshaped

Panaji: Goa State Election Commission announced reservations of constituencies for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections on Friday, with 36% of seats reserved for women. While 17 seats were reserved for SC, ST, OBC, and women candidates in South Goa, in the north, 15 constituencies were reserved.

In South Goa, Veling-Priol, Borim, Siroda, Barcem, Cortalim, and Usgao-Ganje have been reserved for women.


Navelim and Cola are set aside for women from the OBC community, while Rivona will see women from the ST community contesting. Queula, Nuvem, Davorlim, and Curtorim have been reserved for OBCs, and Curti, Raia, Guirdolim, and Sanvordem for ST candidates.

Betqui-Candola, Colva, Velim, Benaulim, Darbandora, Xeldem, Poinguinim, and Sancoale remain in the general category. The Curtorim seat, won by Congress’s Michelle Moreno Rebelo last term, is now reserved for an OBC candidate.

In North Goa, Arambol, Colvale, Calangute, Reis-Magos, Chimbel, and Maem have been reserved for women.

St Cruz, St Lawrence, and Morjim are for women from the OBC community. Torxem, Anjuna, Pale, and Honda are reserved for OBCs, while Querim and Taleigao go to the SC and ST communities, respectively.

The new reservations have closed the doors for several sitting ZP members, including those from Arambol and Morjim, both general seats earlier.

Dhargal, reserved for SC in 2020 and won by BJP’s Manohar Yashavant Dhargalkar, is now a general seat.

BJP’s Dattaprasad Murari Dabolkar, who represented Calangute, loses eligibility as the seat is now for women. His colleague Dhaku Madkaikar, who won St Lawrence earlier under the general category, faces a similar fate as the seat is now for an OBC woman.

Kavita Kiran Kandolkar, who won the Colvale seat in the general category, can take solace from the reservation list, as the seat has now been reserved for women.