RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday moved a resolution in the assembly seeking the immediate implementation of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and all state assemblies after the completion of the delimitation process. This turned a one-day special session into a charged political debate between the treasury and opposition benches.
Background of the Special Session
The special sitting was convened days after a Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at implementing women's reservation in legislatures by 2029 was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17. The bill, which also proposed increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to a maximum of 850 after delimitation based on the 2011 Census, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority. It received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the 352 votes needed.
Chief Minister's Proposal
Moving the resolution, Sai stated that one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and all legislative assemblies was essential for their dignity, empowerment, and overall development. He emphasized that it should be enforced without delay once delimitation is completed.
Opposition's Objections
Speaker Raman Singh allotted four hours for discussion, but the House soon saw objections from Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant. Mahant claimed he had also submitted a similar resolution urging the Centre to provide 33% reservation to women within the existing strength of Parliament and assemblies at the earliest. The Speaker ruled that Mahant's proposal was a non-official resolution and could not be admitted as the agenda of the special session had already been fixed for official business. Mahant countered that what the chief minister had read did not qualify as a resolution and alleged that the proposal had been brought in haste. He also claimed the government had earlier indicated it would bring a censure motion against Congress on the issue.
Ruling Party's Response
Senior BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar hit back, saying the House alone decides what is taken up for discussion and remarks made outside the assembly cannot be debated inside it. The exchange triggered a brief war of words between BJP and Congress members.
Speaker's Intervention
Intervening, the Speaker urged members to use the allotted time to put forward their views constructively, saying there was enough space for all sides to speak on the issue.
Context and Political Reactions
The move comes close on the heels of the Madhya Pradesh assembly passing a similar government resolution for 33% reservation for women in legislative bodies after delimitation, even as Congress MLAs there staged a walkout.
The session that went on till late evening saw more than 500 women representatives from panchayats, municipalities, and civic bodies across the state attend the special sitting, which the government projected as a symbolic push for women's political representation.
The opposition Congress said women's reservation should be implemented after the Census and should not be pushed as a political slogan.
Congress MLA Anila Bhediya called the reservation bill an “electoral rattle,” saying women know that the bill was passed in 2023 but has not yet been implemented. “Women are aware of their rights,” she said.
Deputy CM Arun Sao hit back, accusing Congress of doing little for women despite making promises in its manifesto. “With what face are they speaking about women's rights today?” he said.
Exchange Over Representation
The House also saw a sharp exchange over women's representation in politics. The opposition claimed Congress had given more opportunities to women, pointing out that BJP has eight women MLAs among 54 legislators, while Congress has 11 women MLAs among its 35.
The debate continued amid noisy interventions from both sides, with the special session turning into a political face-off over who could claim greater commitment to women's empowerment.
