Bhopal, April 27 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly witnessed a day of intense political friction as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government successfully passed a resolution concerning women’s reservation during a special one-day session on Monday.

While the government celebrated the passage of the “Nari Shakti Vandan Sankalp”, the proceedings were marked by a dramatic walkout by Congress members who accused the ruling party of delaying the delivery of actual benefits to women due to procedural hurdles.

The day began with both political parties holding separate legislative meetings to finalise their strategies.

At the residence of the Leader of the Opposition, Umang Singhar, the Congress party reached a unanimous decision to demand the immediate implementation of a thirty-three per cent reservation across all two hundred and thirty Assembly constituencies in the state.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party prepared to present a resolution that aligns with the national framework for women’s empowerment.

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav moved the formal resolution in the House, proposing a one-third reservation for women in Parliament and all state legislative assemblies.

However, the proposal specified that these provisions would take effect only after the completion of the delimitation process.

This specific clause became the primary point of contention.

Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar argued that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s plan effectively pushes the reservation benefits beyond the year 2028 or 2029.

He asserted that if the government were sincere about empowerment, it would grant the quota based on the current seat allocation rather than wait for a census-linked delimitation exercise.

The debate saw strong arguments from the treasury benches, with Bharatiya Janata Party state president Hemant Khandelwal noting that the number of parliamentary seats in India has not been updated since 1971, causing immense pressure on current representatives.

He argued that the resolution is a necessary step towards the nation’s future trajectory, citing the legacies of Rani Lakshmibai and Ahilyabai Holkar.

Minister Krishna Gaur criticised the Congress party, claiming their opposition revealed a “historical lack of respect for women’s progress”.

She specifically highlighted her own background as a woman from the Other Backward Classes community to counter opposition claims, stating that PM Modi has done more to integrate women into the mainstream than any previous administration.

Despite sharp exchanges and the opposition’s eventual exit, the government pushed the resolution through, marking a significant, though controversial, milestone in the state’s political landscape.​

–IANS

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