Shimla, April 2 -- The opposition BJP staged a walkout from the Himachal Pradesh assembly on Wednesday, protesting the state government's refusal to hold a detailed discussion on controversial changes to the panchayati raj reservation roster. The move followed the rejection of an adjournment motion moved by BJP MLA Randhir Sharma under Rule 67, which sought to address allegations of constitutional violations. Leader of opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur accused the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government of "tampering with the democratic process" by introducing last-minute changes ahead of the upcoming elections. Thakur alleged that the government issued a backdated notification on March 30 to bypass transparency, specifically targeting a new provision that allows deputy commissioners (DCs) to alter reservation allocations by up to 5%. "Panchayats are the basic units of democracy. Granting such discretionary powers to officials is unjustified and compromises the fairness of elections," Thakur told reporters after the walkout. He questioned why this provision was introduced for panchayats when no such system exists for urban local bodies, labelling it an attempt to benefit government supporters. While the five-year term for panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) ended in January 2026, the state government had sought delays citing disaster-related concerns. However, the Himachal Pradesh high court directed that elections be held by April 30, a deadline the Supreme Court later extended to the end of May....