MP Assembly Clears Women’s Quota Resolution Amid Chaos; Speaker Rejects Vote Division On Opposition Amendments
· Free Press Journal
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A government resolution seeking one-third reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies was passed amid chaotic scenes during a one-day special session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Monday. The Opposition staged a walkout after its demand for a division of votes on proposed amendments was rejected.
The resolution, tabled by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, called for implementation of the quota after completion of the delimitation process. The discussion, initially scheduled for four hours, extended to eight hours.
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Tensions escalated after the debate concluded, when the Opposition pressed for voting on its amendments. Congress MLA Sohanlal Valmik raised the demand, supported by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said the amendments should not have been accepted but respected the Chair’s decision. Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar then directed preparations for voting.
However, ruling party members, including former Speakers Dr Sitasharan Sharma and Girish Gautam, argued that voting on amendments was not permissible as the main proposal had been moved by the Chief Minister. Ministers Rakesh Singh and Prahlad Patel cited parliamentary precedents, stating that the final decision rests with the Speaker.
After hearing arguments, the Speaker noted that the main resolution was submitted on Sunday, while the Opposition’s amendments were received on Monday morning. He decided to seek the opinion of the House only on the government’s resolution, which was subsequently passed.
CM, LoP clash
A heated exchange broke out between Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar during the discussion on vote division. Singhar raised his voice, prompting Yadav to respond that he could do the same. Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar intervened to restore order. BJP MLA Bhupendra Singh demanded an apology from Singhar.
Singhar challenges CM on 33% quota
Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar challenged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to implement 33% reservation for women in the state cabinet. He said the Congress had supported the women’s reservation Bill in Parliament but criticised the BJP for linking it to delimitation and census. Singhar said the Opposition would back a resolution without such conditions.
CM targets Congress on women’s quota
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that if Opposition parties had supported the women’s reservation Bill in Parliament earlier, the number of Assembly seats would have risen to 345, with 114 reserved for women. He said a similar increase was proposed in the Lok Sabha, from 543 to 850 seats.
During the discussion, Yadav accused the Congress of undermining women’s rights and said it would face consequences. He criticised the party for opposing delimitation in all circumstances and highlighted government measures, stating that women’s participation in recruitment has increased significantly.
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