Only 25 of 181 Gujarat MLAs attend Yoga Camp in Gandhinagar

A two-day yoga camp for MLAs was organized by the Gujarat State Yoga Board at the new MLA quarters in Gandhinagar, in the presence of Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary. The event was part of the state government’s “Healthy Gujarat – Obesity-Free Gujarat” campaign, which aims to promote yoga as a mass movement and support the vision of a developed Gujarat and a developed India.

However, the turnout at the camp was far lower than expected. Out of the state’s 181 elected MLAs, only 25 attended the programme. Apart from a few members of the ruling party, no MLAs from the opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) participated in the camp.

The campaign was launched following concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the growing problem of obesity in the country. In line with this, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had earlier announced in the Assembly that this year would be observed as the “Healthy Gujarat – Obesity-Free Gujarat Campaign.”

To strengthen the initiative, several programmes are being organised across the state under the leadership of Shishpal, chairman of the Gujarat State Yoga Board. As part of the campaign, MLAs have been encouraged to promote yoga in their constituencies through the “One Booth – One Yoga Class” approach, with the aim of turning the Assembly into a yoga-friendly institution.

Despite these efforts, the limited participation at the Gandhinagar camp has raised questions about the seriousness with which many MLAs are taking the campaign. The low turnout was particularly noticeable since the event was held at the MLAs’ own residential complex, making it convenient for them to attend.