Panaji, June 1 : Akhil Gomantak Kshatriya Maratha Samaj (AGKMS) has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and Goa BJP President Damodar Naik opposing the reported proposal to reserve four Assembly constituencies for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community ahead of the 2027 Goa Assembly elections.

In the memorandum, AGKMS stated that while it is not opposed to reservation or the ST community, it objects to what it termed as an “unwanted and arbitrary” implementation of political reservation without a transparent and data-backed exercise. The organization claimed that constituencies such as Canacona, Quepem, Sanguem and Priol are reportedly being considered for ST reservation and urged the government to place the proposal in abeyance until the completion of the ongoing Census and delimitation process.

The Maratha Samaj, which claims to represent a significant section of Goa’s population, argued that political reservation should be based on the latest authenticated Census data rather than the 2011 Census. The memorandum stated that implementing reservation on outdated data could lead to injustice and create regional imbalance in political representation.

AGKMS further raised concerns over the concentration of proposed reserved constituencies in the Kushavati region, pointing out that three of the four reported constituencies fall within the same district. The organization argued that several other constituencies in South Goa also have substantial ST populations and questioned the basis for the current selection process.

The memorandum also highlighted that Pernem constituency has remained reserved for the Scheduled Caste community for nearly four decades, stating that prolonged reservation in a single constituency limits political opportunities for other communities. The Samaj suggested introducing a rotation system for reserved constituencies, similar to the model followed in local self-government bodies.

Key Demands

Among its key demands, AGKMS called for:

Deferring notification of ST-reserved constituencies until Census and delimitation are completed.

Formation of an all-party and all-community committee to review the distribution of reserved seats.

Equitable district-wise allocation of reserved constituencies based on population ratios.

Publication of the legal opinion and material relied upon for the reservation proposal.

Adoption of a rotational reservation system for Assembly constituencies.

The memorandum has also been marked to President of India Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor of Goa, Election Commission authorities, MPs, Ministers and MLAs from Goa.

AGKMS stated that its demand is aimed at ensuring constitutional balance, democratic fairness and equitable political representation for all communities in Goa.