Agartala, April 30:
A one-day special session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Thursday witnessed intense political exchanges before the House passed a Motion backing women’s reservation, with the ruling BJP and Opposition parties sharply divided over its intent and constitutional implications.
Chief Minister Manik Saha described the outcome as “positive,” highlighting that more than 25 members from both treasury and opposition benches participated in the debate. He said the initiative, aligned with the Nari Shakti Vandan framework, seeks to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women and strengthen their role in governance.
At the same time, Saha criticised opposition parties at the national level, alleging they had earlier obstructed the passage of the legislation in Parliament for “political reasons,” while expressing confidence that the Centre under Narendra Modi would implement it nationwide.
However, Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury of the CPI(M) questioned the rationale behind convening the special session, terming the Motion politically motivated.
He argued that the move was aimed more at narrative-building against thr Opposition than substantive legislative necessity, and criticised the state government for what he described as “symbolic politics.”
The Congress also mounted a strong critique, rejecting claims that the Opposition had opposed the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Senior Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman asserted that the party, along with other opposition groups, had supported the Bill when it was passed in Parliament in 2023. The party’s objection, he clarified, lies with the proposed delimitation exercise and expansion of Lok Sabha seats, which it fears could disturb the constitutional principle of equitable representation.
Citing Articles 81 and 82, the Congress warned that population-based seat allocation and periodic readjustment must remain central to any such exercise. It argued that disparities in constituency sizes across states already challenge the principle of “one person, one vote,” and any politically driven delimitation could further erode federal balance.
The ruling BJP, on its part, maintained that the Motion reflects a commitment to women’s empowerment and aligns with national efforts to institutionalise greater political participation for women.
With the Motion now adopted, the Assembly session underscored both consensus on the need for women’s representation and deep divisions over the constitutional and political pathways to achieve it.
