ibn sultan
New Delhi, April 17:
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposed major changes to the women’s reservation framework and expansion of Parliament, failed to pass in the on Thursday after the government fell short of the required two-thirds majority.
The Bill secured 298 votes in favour and 230 against, failing to meet the constitutional requirement for passage.
The proposed legislation aimed to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from the present 543 members to a maximum of 850, including 815 members from states and 35 from Union Territories. It also sought to operationalise the long-pending provision of one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies.
The Bill was introduced following a division of votes, as the Opposition insisted on a formal count instead of a voice vote, reflecting strong resistance to the proposal. The move marked a rare instance of voting at the introduction stage of a Bill.
Alongside the amendment, the government also introduced the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, aimed at implementing the proposed reservation policy in Union Territories such as Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Leader of Opposition criticised the government, describing the Bill as a “panic reaction” intended to alter the country’s electoral map.
Earlier, Prime Minister defended the proposal, stating that the delimitation process would be carried out fairly and no state would face discrimination. He also cautioned that opposing such reforms could carry long-term political consequences.
The defeat of the Bill is being seen as a significant setback for the ruling alliance and raises uncertainty over the timeline for implementing women’s reservation and carrying out delimitation ahead of future elections.
