Goa assembly to get four seats reserved for STs

The Union government on Thursday notified the Act providing political reservation for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in the 40-member Goa legislative Assembly.

The move brings into force legislation passed earlier by Parliament and paves the way for four Assembly seats to be reserved for tribal candidates in Goa for the first time.

The Union Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification stating that “in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025(21 of 2025), the Central Government hereby appoints August 06, 2026, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.”

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to expedite the process of reservation for the ST community in the Assembly, which will go to polls early next year.

Sawant welcomed the move to enforce the law.

The chief minister wrote on X, “A promise kept. I warmly welcome the coming into force of the ST Assembly Representation Act from today. With the Act now in force, Goa moves decisively towards reserving Assembly seats for our ST communities; long-overdue justice for our tribal brothers and sisters.”

“Deep gratitude to Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, and Honorable HM Shri Amit Shah ji. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” the CM further added.

Tribal leader and BJP MLA Govind Gaude described the move as a big victory for the social justice movement.

“It is a big victory of social justice movement. It is a victory of the revolution. The strength in the revolution is reflected here. It can make impossible things, possible,” remarked Gaude, who was part of a pressure group that had urged the Goa government to expedite the process of political reservation for tribals ahead of the 2027 polls.

Gaude said the process of reservation should start now, taking into consideration population data of Assembly constituencies. He added that it would then be for the Election Commission to implement the People’s Representation Act.