Women's Reservation Bill Defeated in Lok Sabha

A Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at reserving seats for women in legislatures by 2029 and increasing Lok Sabha seats was defeated in the Lower House. The Bill needed 352 votes for passage but only secured 298, while 230 opposed it. The proposal included expanding Lok Sabha seats after a delimitation based on the 2011 Census.

The Lok Sabha witnessed a significant legislative showdown as the Constitution Amendment Bill, aimed at implementing reservations for women legislators by 2029, was defeated. The Bill, which also proposed an increase in the number of parliamentary seats, failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority.

The legislative proposal required 352 votes to pass but managed to secure only 298 in support, with 230 parliamentarians voting against it. Despite the majority support, it fell short of the threshold required for a constitutional amendment.

According to the Bill, the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats was to be increased to 850 from the current 543 after a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census data. This expansion was intended to operationalize a 33% reservation for women before the 2029 parliamentary elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)