HC adjourns Ponda bypollplea for EC to record stand | Goa News

Panaji: The Bombay high court on Tuesday adjourned to March 30 two petitions opposing the conducting of the Ponda byelection on April 9 after the Election Commission (EC) sought time to place on record its stand.The petitioners submitted to the court that the election is unnecessary as less than one year is left for the five-year term of the current legislative assembly. They told the court that a byelection cannot be held as the winning candidate must have a term of at least one year, and that it would not be possible in this situation.Govt told the court that the election process has begun and cannot be stopped and that the scrutiny of nominations will take place on Tuesday. The court asked the EC for its stand, but the EC sought time till Monday to submit its stand, stating that the chief electoral officer is currently not in Goa.The division bench of justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar heard the petitioners, two voters from Ponda. The Ponda seat became vacant following the death of Ponda MLA and ex-chief minister Ravi Naik in Oct last year.