Three such bills were introduced by the Government, namely the Nari Shakti Vandan Amendment Bill (Constitutional 131st Amendment Bill) and Delimitation Bills, to provide 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures in the elections commencing from 2029. However, the bills did not pass, since they did not secure the mandatory two-thirds majority.
In response to a call by the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla, seeking a vote on the bill, 528 votes were recorded out of which 298 were in favor of the bill and 230 were against it.
From the above outcomes, it is evident that the opposition, being concerned more with delimitation rather than women’s reservation, did not budge despite assurances from PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The government attempted to explain that reservations for women would only be properly implemented if the number of seats were increased, and that 50 percent of the seats would be increased equally in all states.
Shah even stated on Friday that he was willing to include this in writing within the amended bill. This assurance seemed to instill confidence among leaders in the South that seats would be increased in their states. However, the opposition opposed delimitation, claiming that it would manipulate the seat structure under the guise of delimitation.
Sensing the opposition's intentions, the Prime Minister had already laid the foundation for the narrative that those opposing the bill were anti-women and that the country's women would judge their intentions. In a post on Friday, he appealed to all members to vote with their conscience.
After a lengthy two-day discussion, the bill presented by the Modi government fell in a vote, lacking a two-thirds majority. As soon as the results were announced, the opposition camp expressed their joy by thumping tables.
Additionally, as in previous attempts, the interests and politics of political parties once again stood in the way of 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. As soon as the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill was defeated, the ruling party attempted to portray the opposition as anti-women.
Outside the House, BJP leaders directly accused the Congress of delaying justice for women. Outside the House, NDA women MPs held black placards and criticized the Congress.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated in the House that they had the opportunity to pass the historic bill providing reservation to women, but the opposition did not support it. It is believed that this will become a major issue in the elections.
In every state, the NDA will likely point out that the Congress and opposition parties obstructed the early reservation for women.
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