BJP, Cong trade barbs in Madhya Pradesh over women's quota bill defeat

Bhopal, April 20 The political temperature rose sharply in Madhya Pradesh on Monday as the Congress and the BJP engaged in a fierce war of words following the defeat of the women’s reservation Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, with both sides accusing each other of undermining women’s empowerment.

At a press conference in Bhopal, Congress leader Shobha Oza mounted a strong attack on the BJP-led Centre, alleging that the proposed law was designed to delay implementation by linking it with delimitation and census exercises.

She claimed that the Congress-led Opposition’s resistance was aimed at protecting the constitutional spirit and ensuring immediate rights for women.

“This is not a defeat, but a victory for democracy. The attempt to use women’s reservation as a tool for political gain has been exposed,” Oza said.

Citing the voting figures, she noted that out of 528 votes in the Lok Sabha, 298 supported the Bill while 230 opposed it, resulting in its rejection. She reiterated that the Congress fully supports women’s reservation and had backed the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ earlier, but opposed the current amendment for delaying implementation.

Oza asserted that reservation could be rolled out immediately within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats without waiting for delimitation. She also demanded a sub-quota for OBC women and separation of reservation from census-related processes.

Highlighting the party’s legacy, she referred to initiatives under Rajiv Gandhi and later reforms by P.V. Narasimha Rao that institutionalised women’s reservation in local bodies, saying these measures laid the foundation for grassroots representation.

On the other side, the ruling BJP organised a “Jan-Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra” in Bhopal, led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal, along with several women leaders on Monday.

BJP leaders accused the Congress of “blocking a historic opportunity” for women, alleging that the Opposition’s stance deprived women of constitutionally guaranteed representation. They maintained that the Bill was aimed at implementing reservation from the 2029 general elections and was a significant step towards gender justice.

The BJP further claimed that the Congress was attempting to create confusion among the public, while it had itself failed to implement women’s reservation during its years in power.

The sharp exchange has brought the issue of women’s reservation back into the political spotlight, with both parties projecting themselves as champions of women’s rights. As the debate deepens, the issue is expected to remain a key flashpoint in the run-up to future elections, shaping political narratives across the state and beyond.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor