In a significant legislative setback for the government, the Lok Sabha on Friday rejected the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill after it failed to secure the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority.<\/p>\n
The proposed amendment received 298 votes in support and 230 against, falling short of the 352 votes required for passage. The outcome marks a rare parliamentary defeat for the ruling administration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.<\/p>\n
Key Provisions of the Bill<\/strong><\/p>\n The Bill aimed to bring sweeping structural and representational changes to India\u2019s legislative framework. One of its central proposals was to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 seats to 850, aligning representation with updated population data through a long-pending delimitation exercise.<\/p>\n In addition, the amendment sought to operationalise the long-promised 33 percent reservation for women in both Parliament and state legislative assemblies. Although the framework for this quota was established under the Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhiniyam passed in 2023, its implementation was contingent on the completion of delimitation.<\/p>\n Government\u2019s Stand<\/strong><\/p>\n During an intense two-day debate, senior leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah defended the Bill as a necessary step toward fair representation and gender inclusivity.<\/p>\n Shah criticised opposition parties, particularly the Congress, accusing them of historically delaying delimitation efforts. He argued that linking women\u2019s reservation to delimitation ensured equitable distribution of seats and warned that voters, especially women, would closely observe the stance taken by political parties on the issue.<\/p>\n Opposition Raises Concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n Opposition parties strongly opposed the proposal, questioning both its intent and implications. They argued that the Bill could disproportionately benefit northern states with higher population growth, such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while disadvantaging southern states that have effectively controlled population growth.<\/p>\n Critics contended that the expansion of seats without addressing regional imbalances would skew parliamentary representation and undermine federal equity. They also expressed concerns that the move was politically motivated rather than genuinely aimed at empowering women.<\/p>\n Related Bills Withdrawn<\/strong><\/p>\n Following the defeat of the amendment, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that the government would not proceed with two associated proposals \u2014 a separate Delimitation Bill and another amendment extending women\u2019s reservation to Union Territories.<\/p>\n Implications of the Outcome<\/strong><\/p>\n The rejection of the Bill represents both a political win for the opposition and a notable legislative hurdle for the government. More importantly, it prolongs uncertainty around the implementation of women\u2019s reservation in legislatures.<\/p>\n While the constitutional basis for reserving one-third of seats for women exists, its enforcement remains tied to delimitation \u2014 a process now further delayed due to the failed amendment. As a result, a key reform aimed at enhancing women\u2019s political participation remains in limbo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a significant legislative setback for the government, the Lok Sabha on Friday rejected the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill after it failed to secure the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority. The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n