Odisha Congress to Intensify Stir Over Women’s Reservation Implementation

Bhubaneswar, Apr 30: The Odisha unit of the Congress on Thursday announced a statewide intensification of its agitation against the BJP, accusing the ruling party of misleading the public over the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act passed in 2023.

Addressing a Mahila Congress rally and Assembly gherao programme at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das said the party would organize district-level women’s processions on May 3 and 4, followed by block-level demonstrations on May 7 and 8.

Das demanded the immediate enforcement of the Women’s Reservation Act, warning that the government would face strong public backlash if it failed to implement the legislation without delay.

The protest, led by the Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress, saw participation from women leaders and workers across the state, who accused both the state and central governments of creating confusion and deliberately delaying the rollout of 33 percent reservation for women in legislatures.

Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu launched a sharp attack on the BJP, claiming that while Congress has a long history of promoting women’s leadership, the BJP has failed to provide adequate representation to women. He also rejected allegations made by the BJP against the Congress on women’s issues, calling them politically motivated.

Congress leaders reiterated that the party had supported the Women’s Reservation Bill during its passage in Parliament and questioned why the Centre had not implemented it ahead of the 2024 general elections.

They strongly opposed linking the implementation of the reservation to the delimitation process, arguing that it could be rolled out immediately based on the current Lok Sabha and Assembly seat structure.

Raising concerns over women’s safety, speakers cited incidents from different parts of the country and demanded inclusion of quotas for OBC, tribal, and Dalit women within the reservation framework.

Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress President Minakshi Bahinipati, who led the protest, called for united action against what she described as systematic injustice towards women.

Following the rally, Mahila Congress workers marched towards the Odisha Assembly to stage a gherao, but were stopped by police before reaching the premises.

The Congress has signalled that its agitation will continue to escalate in the coming days as it presses for immediate implementation of women’s reservation across legislative bodies.