JUDGMENT :

Manish Pitale, J.

1. The Petitioners claim to be members of Scheduled Tribe communities in the State of Goa and they have approached this Court by filing the present Writ Petition, to seek a direction against the Respondents for implementation of reservation for Scheduled Tribe candidates in the Assembly Elections to take place this year in the State.

2. The Petitioner no.1 is a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly from Sanguem Constituency in the State of Goa, while the Petitioner nos. 2 to 5 are residents of Sanguem, Priol, Quepem, and Nuvem Assembly Constituencies in the State, who claim that maximum number of persons belonging to the Scheduled Tribes are residents of the said constituencies.

3. The principal grievance of the Petitioners is that the Scheduled Tribe population in the State of Goa has been deprived of the benefit of the Constitutional mandate under Article 332 of the Constitution for reservation of Legislative Assembly seats in Goa in proportion to the population of Schedule Tribes in the State. It is contended that the mandate of the Constitution has been violated repeatedly by the Respondents, despite representations made on behalf of the Scheduled