Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 27 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari on Monday asked the BJP government in the state to implement reservation for women legislators on the existing 230 seats in the Assembly, without bringing in a provision for delimitation.
Speaking to ANI amid a special one-day session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly today, Jitu Patwari stated that the party has supported the cause of women’s reservation.
“The Congress party’s policy is clear that today the BJP should implement reservation on 543 seats. The BJP should pass it. In the state, the BJP should implement reservation on 230 seats in the 2028 elections. We want the BJP to support this. What happened in the Parliament was propaganda. Congress has always supported women’s reservation,” the Congress leader said.
Congress leader Phool Singh Baraiya also said that there was no need to link women’s reservation to the delimitation exercise.
Baraiya said, “For 33 per cent reservation of women, they want the first delimitation to happen, and for that, first there will be a census, so they’re just delaying the Bill. There’s no link to all of this to the women’s reservation.”
Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar also said, ” Why do you talk about census, delimitation – when you can already provide reservation on the current 543 (Lok Sabha) seats. If you really want it, Congress is ready; call the meeting, and we’ll support it if it is for the Women’s Reservation Bill.”
Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar held an advisory meeting with CM Mohan Yadav and LoP Umang Singhar.
Mohan Yadav will table a Government Resolution for women’s empowerment and development. The resolution will include provisions for implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Legislative Assembly.
The discussion will be initiated by CM Yadav on behalf of the BJP.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Legislative Assembly has also announced a One-Day Special Session on Tuesday, April 28, at the Old Secretariat. The Odisha Legislative Assembly has called a one-day session on April 30 to discuss the participation of women in Indian democracy.
This comes after the Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha voted against the Constitution Amendment Bill on April 17. The Lok Sabha took up the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill together for passing. In the division that took place on the Constitution Amendment Bill following the debate on the three bills, 298 members voted in favour and 230 against. (ANI)