25% MLAs silent on public issues in MP:Performance analysis of 198 legislators over 2 years; 30% from BJP, 13% from Congress remained inactive

Four days before the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly completes two years of its 16th term on December 18, an analysis of Assembly proceedings reveals concerns over legislative participation and shrinking session durations. In the past two years, the House has convened for only seven sessions, and the performance of many MLAs has remained uneven. About 25 percent of legislators stayed silent on constituency issues and public concerns, while sessions were frequently curtailed, limiting debate and accountability. An analysis by Dainik Bhaskar shows that only 75 percent of MLAs actively participated in Assembly proceedings by asking questions. The remaining one-fourth did not raise a single question in several sessions. This includes nearly 30 percent of MLAs from the ruling BJP and 13 percent from the main opposition Congress. Read the full report.. Out of 198 MLAs eligible to ask questions (excluding ministers and the Speaker), only 90 MLAs consistently raised questions in all six major sessions during this period. Nearly 100 legislators failed to remain active across sessions. Kamleshwar Dodiyar, the lone MLA from the Bharat Adivasi Party, emerged as the only non-major party legislator to participate actively in every session. Performance of MLAs session by session February 2024: First Session ends early amid disruptions The first session of the Mohan Yadav government began on February 7, 2024, and was scheduled for 13 days with nine sittings. However, the session ended after just six days, concluding on February 14 due to repeated disruptions. Despite the shortened duration, key business such as the Governor’s address, supplementary budget, and vote on account was completed. The opposition raised adjournment motions on the Harda firecracker factory blast and crop damage caused by hailstorms. Continuous uproar, however, led to the premature adjournment of the House. Performance: A total of 2,303 questions were listed. Of the 198 MLAs, only 129 (65 percent) asked questions, while 69 MLAs remained silent. Among inactive members, 57 belonged to the BJP and 12 to the Congress. July 2024: Budget passed without detailed discussion The full budget session scheduled from July 1 to July 19 was meant to have 14 sittings over 19 days. However, proceedings were disrupted, and the House effectively functioned for only five days. Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the budget on July 3, but departmental grant discussions were bypassed, with demands passed collectively using the guillotine method. Out of 37 adjournment motions and 503 attention notices submitted by the opposition, only seven issues were taken up for discussion. Eleven bills were passed with minimal debate, and the session was adjourned indefinitely on July 5. Performance: Question numbers rose sharply to 4,287. Participation improved, with 159 MLAs (80 percent) raising questions. Still, 39 MLAs remained inactive—30 from BJP and 9 from Congress. December 2024: Oath-taking overshadows legislative scrutiny The five-day winter session from December 16 to 20 also saw limited deliberation. During this session, Congress MLA Mukesh Malhotra (Vijaypur), BJP’s Ramakant Bhargav (Budhni), and Kamlesh Shah (Amarwada) took oath as newly elected members. Though MLAs raised 1,766 questions, none of the seven adjournment motions were discussed. Of the 471 attention motions submitted, only 38 were taken up. Ten bills were passed. Performance: Participation dipped again, with 141 MLAs (71 percent) asking questions. A total of 57 MLAs stayed silent, including 46 BJP and 11 Congress legislators. March 2025: Second full budget sees improved participation The budget session held from March 10 to 24 marked some improvement. The government presented its second full budget, with Finance Minister Jagdish Devda outlining the “Developed MP 2047” roadmap and declaring 2025–26 as the Industry and Employment Year. The House met for nine days, with proceedings totaling nearly 57 hours. Nine adjournment motions and 645 attention notices were submitted, of which 33 were discussed. Four bills were passed. Performance: A total of 2,939 questions were asked. Participation reached its highest level, with 164 MLAs (82 percent) raising issues. Only 34 MLAs—28 from BJP and 6 from Congress—did not ask questions. July 2025: Supplementary budget amid continued disruptions The monsoon session, scheduled for 10 days, functioned for eight days, with two days lost to disruptions. The government presented its first supplementary budget of the financial year. While nine adjournment motions were submitted, none were discussed. Twenty-six attention notices were taken up, and 14 bills were passed. The opposition failed to effectively capitalize on issues such as Minister Vijay Shah’s remarks on Colonel Sofia Qureshi and matters affecting public welfare. Performance: Participation remained steady, with 162 MLAs (82 percent) asking questions. A total of 3,377 questions were raised. However, 36 MLAs remained inactive—31 from BJP and 5 from Congress. December 2025: Year ends with reduced legislative activity The final winter session from December 1 to 5 had only four sittings. The government presented its second supplementary budget. The opposition attempted to raise issues including the Chhindwara cough syrup incident, crop losses due to excessive rainfall, and deteriorating law and order. Despite protests outside the House, no substantive discussions occurred inside. None of the 12 adjournment motions were admitted, and only 27 out of 455 attention notices were discussed. Performance: Activity declined again, with only 143 MLAs (72 percent) asking questions. A total of 1,497 questions were listed. As many as 55 MLAs remained silent, including 48 from BJP and 7 from Congress. First-time MLAs: Mixed participation trends The Assembly has 70 first-time MLAs, seven of whom are ministers and therefore excluded from questioning. Among the remaining 63, an average of 68 percent participated by asking questions. Of these, 38 were from BJP, 24 from Congress, and one from the Bharat Adivasi Party. Performance among first-time legislators improved during budget sessions. On average, 24 BJP and 19 Congress first-time MLAs actively raised issues during these sittings. However, 32 percent of first-time MLAs did not ask questions in any session. Experts flag shrinking sessions as core issue Former Assembly Chief Secretary Bhagwandev Israni said the declining number of sittings is a major concern. He noted that the Assembly is the primary platform for raising public issues and ensuring accountability. Reduced sittings limit opportunities for legislators and weaken public trust in democratic institutions. Israni pointed out that the issue has been discussed repeatedly at Presiding Officers’ Conferences. A 2003 conference involving Speakers and Secretaries of all state assemblies recommended 100 sittings annually for Parliament and at least 75 sittings for large state assemblies such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Despite these recommendations, they have not been implemented.