Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy leads the proceedings as Congress MLAs protest during a special session of the state assembly in Bhubaneswar on April 30, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Biju Janata Dal and the Congress resorted to political upheaval as a special session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly debated women’s participation in India’s democracy on Thursday (April 30, 2026) in the wake of the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill’s failure to pass Parliament.
Addressing the gathering, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “Today, women in Indian democracy are not just voters but active participants. At the local level, about 14.5 million women serve as elected representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions, proving their capabilities.”
Published – 30 Apr 2026 23:42 IST
