BJP and BJD both have separate events planned before Parliament session for women's reservation bill.

In Bhubaneswar, a bustling city in Odisha, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) were busy organizing their own events ahead of the three-day special session of Parliament to discuss the Women's Reservation Bill. Both parties were keen on taking credit for championing women's empowerment, with the BJP praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for proposing reservations for women in both Parliament and state assemblies, and the BJD highlighting the contributions of former chief minister Biju Patnaik towards women's upliftment in Odisha. The BJP's state unit organized an all-women two-wheeler rally to show their support for the proposed amendments to the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', which aims to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The rally, which started from AG Chowk and ended at Ramadevi Women's University, saw the participation of hundreds of women and girls. The event also included paying floral tributes to the statue of Ramadevi, and was attended by state BJP women's wing leader Aishwarya Biswal. Meanwhile, the State Commission for Women organized a meeting to discuss the Women's Reservation Act, which was attended by several prominent figures including Assembly Speaker Surama Padhi, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Jnanpith awardee Pratibha Ray.

Speaking at the event, Majhi praised the Narendra Modi government for launching various welfare programs for women, but emphasized that the Women's Reservation Act, 2023, was the most revolutionary decision and a major step towards women's empowerment in independent India. At the BJD headquarters, Sankha Bhawan, party leaders gathered to discuss the topic 'Biju Babu - the great leader of women empowerment'. Senior BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra highlighted how the Odisha assembly, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, had passed a resolution in support of the Women's Reservation Bill.

The party had also sent delegations to 22 national and regional parties, seeking their support for the legislation. The BJD also pointed out the initiatives taken by Biju Patnaik, such as setting up the Department of Women and Child Development, women police stations, and women's banks, to empower women in the state. BJD women's wing president Snehangini Chhuria, chief whip Pramila Mallik, and other leaders spoke about the contributions of the Patnaik father-son duo towards women's empowerment in Odisha.

They also criticized the present BJP government for failing to ensure women's safety and accused them of engaging in mere publicity campaigns. BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo highlighted how Biju Patnaik had introduced 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies in 1992, which was later increased to 50% by Naveen Patnaik, who also established the Mission Shakti Department to promote women's self-reliance. In conclusion, it was evident that both the BJP and the BJD were committed to women's empowerment and had taken significant steps towards achieving it.

As the three-day special session of Parliament approached, all eyes were on the outcome of the discussions on the Women's Reservation Bill, which would have a significant impact on the future of women in India.