The Rajasthan Assembly on Wednesday passed the Bill seeking five per cent reservations for the Gurjjars and 14 per cent reservation for the Economically Backward Classes (EBC) from upper castes after a marathon special assembly session.

The Bill was tabled on Monday by Rajasthan Law minister Ganshyam Tiwari amidst allegations by the Congress that the Bill was “hollow” and was tabled to gain political mileage. The Congress and rebel BJP MLAs fiercely contended the Gurjjar issue for two days expressing their unhappiness over the Government’s failure to check the events that led to the death of 38 Gurjjar protestors in police firing and the arrest of several MLAs and Gurjjar leaders.

However, the speaker passed the SC/ST/OBC special backward class and poor among economically backward classes Reservation Bill 2008 following a voice-vote at around 11 pm. The Bill was passed unanimously as the Congress supported the Bill. The Bill guarantees reservation in education as well as Government jobs.

Congress leader Hemaram Choudhary, who was later taken ill at the Assembly and had to be admitted to the ICU, said, “The BJP Government had five years to bring the Bill, but preferred to do so only when it would be of no use. We support it only in principle.” He added that the Vasundhara Raje government did not have to pass a bill for the reservation and the same could have achieved the same through a Government notification.

BJP MLA Kirori Lal Meena submitted his resignation to the speaker after the Bill was passed. “His resignation was to gain ground with the powerful Meena vote bank in the state. He had threatened to resign over the reservation issue three times in the past but did nothing,” a Congress leader said.