Bhopal, Dec 16 (IANS): The winter session of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly began after an all-party meeting chaired by Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar and some other senior ministers attended the all-party meeting in the Assembly premises

Outside the Assembly, the opposition Congress staged a protest to corner the ruling BJP and highlight the public issues on the very first day of the five-day winter session of the Assembly.

The main protest was organised at Roshanpura Chowk and was planned to march toward the state Assembly, around 5 km from the spot. A big stage for the protest was set up late at night.

Heavy security has been deployed and the city's roads leading towards the state's Assembly were barricaded to stop the protesters.

The Leader of Opposition (LoP), Umang Singhar along with several Congress MLAs crossed the police barricade put up on the road connecting to the Assembly near the Vyapam office. Security personnel tried to stop them, however, they jumped the police barricades.

"BJP government has failed to fulfil its promises made to the people, which is why the Congress, being the Opposition, decided to stage a peaceful protest. However, Congress workers and leaders are being stopped from reaching the protest site," Singhar said.

On the first day of the winter session, three newly elected MLAs (who won recently held bypolls) will be sworn in as members of the state's Assembly. Of them, two are from the ruling BJP - -Kamlesh Shah (Amarwara), Ramakant Bhargava (Budhni) and Congress MLA from Vijaypur Assembly seat, Mukesh Malhotra.

The session will address a wide array of concerns, as indicated by the 1,766 questions submitted by MLAs. The government's agenda includes economic challenges, while Congress continues its demand for a caste-based census.

The five-day session is scheduled till December 20.