India
oi-Swastika Sruti
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, aimed at implementing women’s reservation in Parliament, failed to pass in the Lok Sabha even though it received more support than opposition.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, proposing 33% women’s reservation and increased Lok Sabha seats, failed in the Lok Sabha due to insufficient two-thirds majority support, sparking debate over linking it with delimitation and its implementation.
The outcome has sparked a major political debate over the process and timing of the proposed changes.
Why the Bill Failed Despite More ‘Yes’ Votes
The bill received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, showing that a majority of MPs supported it. However, constitutional amendment bills require more than just a simple majority.
To pass, such bills must also get at least two-thirds of the members present and voting. In this case, out of 528 members who voted, the bill needed 352 votes to meet the two-thirds requirement. Since it fell short of this mark, the bill could not be passed.
What the Bill Proposed
The proposed law aimed to implement 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. To make this possible, it also suggested increasing the total number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to a maximum of 850.
This expansion was planned to ensure that women’s reservation could be introduced before the 2029 general elections without reducing existing seats.
Linked Bills Put on Hold
Two other important bills-related to delimitation and increasing the number of seats-were not taken up for voting after the main bill failed.
The government stated that these bills were “intrinsically linked” to the women’s reservation proposal, and therefore could not proceed independently.
Understanding the Legal Requirement
Under Article 368 of the Constitution, a constitutional amendment bill must meet strict conditions:
- It must get a majority of the total membership of the House
- It must also secure two-thirds of members present and voting
In some cases, such amendments also need approval from at least half of the state legislatures after being passed in Parliament.
Opposition’s Stand on the Bill
Opposition parties said they fully support women’s reservation but strongly opposed linking it with delimitation.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticised the government, saying the delimitation proposal has “nothing to do with the empowerment of women” and is instead an attempt to change India’s electoral structure.
Nearly 130 MPs participated in the debate, showing the importance of the issue.
Government Hits Back at Critics
Before the voting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended the bills and criticised the opposition’s stand.
He said the government is committed to implementing women’s reservation from the 2029 elections and warned that those opposing it may face backlash from women voters in the future.
Political Impact
The failure of the bill highlights deep divisions between the government and the opposition. While both sides claim to support women’s reservation, they disagree sharply on how and when it should be implemented.
With the bill now defeated, the future of women’s reservation and delimitation remains uncertain, and the issue is likely to continue as a major political debate in the coming months.
