Mallikarjun Kharge: BJP treating women reservation bill as a jumla, likely implementation may happen in 2034, says Mallikarjun Kharge | India News

RAIPUR: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated on Thursday that the women’s reservation Bill is merely a ‘jumla‘ by the BJP which makes promises during elections but does not fulfill them over time. “Let me tell you one thing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji will not implement the Bill, neither in 2024 nor in 2029, but maybe in 2034”, he said.
Kharge was addressing the ‘Krishak-sah-Shramik Sammelan’ in Bhatapara town of Baloda Bazar district in Chhattisgarh, where assembly elections are scheduled for November. He said, “What the BJP could not do in Chhattisgarh during its 15-year rule, the Congress achieved in five years.”

“The Women’s Reservation Bill isn’t a new concept, as it was introduced by former Congress PM Rajiv Gandhi, for the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution, providing reservation for women in panchayat bodies. When the proposal for a 33 percent reservation for women was raised, it was opposed by the BJP. Today, they (BJP) are boasting about passing the Bill. They said when the delimitation takes place, then the Bill will be implemented, and it will happen only in 2034. If they genuinely intend to support and provide reservation to women, they can make it possible today,” Kharge strongly stated, emphasizing that the BJP misleads people.
Congress leader expressed that their party desires a census of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) to be conducted. Only then can detailed information about their status be calculated, based on which programs can be launched. Kharge claimed that the Bill, aimed at reserving one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, won’t be implemented until 2034.
“Whatever work we do, we do it from the heart to help people, but the BJP plays politics and ‘jumlebaazi’ to win votes by making false promises such as providing two crore employment and doubling farmers’ earnings, which never materialize. Modi ji knows that whatever he promises, people forget with time,” the Congress leader said.
Highlighting the achievements of the state government, Kharge said, “With thousands of crores invested in projects in Chhattisgarh, the BJP must be surprised and shocked by the welfare works being done in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh, focusing on farmers, women, laborers, and children. They never focused on the needs of the poor and always favored the rich. Five percent of the people possess 62 percent of the country’s assets, while 50 percent of the people own only three percent of the assets. The BJP is also attempting to abolish the Constitution and replace it with one of their own.”
Kharge urged people to support Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi to safeguard the Constitution and democracy in the country.
Remembering the first woman Parliamentarian from Chhattisgarh, Minimata, Kharge said, “It has been Congress that introduced first-time women leaders to lead in higher posts, including Indira Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Sonia Gandhi, Pratibha Patil, and Meera Kumar. BJP imitates Congress’ moves.”
This marked Kharge’s third visit to Chhattisgarh in the past two months after he addressed public rallies in Rajnandgaon on September 7 and Janjgir Champa on August 13. Kharge requested the gathering to observe two minutes of silence in honor of Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, the Indian agronomist, on his death anniversary.
Chhattisgarh chief minister in his address said, “We have been giving the money under Rajiv Gandhi Kisan NYAY Yojana on the first day of every month. But today it’s being deposited by Kharge ji in people’s accounts. Our government is concerned with the interest of every class and we have issued 20 lakh additional ration cards in the last five years, and are giving free rice and salt to 73 lakh people.”
He said that in Bilaspur, beneficiaries received the first instalment of Rs 25,000 for seven lakh houses.