Women's quota, delimitation: Opposition kills bill in Lok Sabha, it's NDA govt's first legislative defeat

NEW DELHI: A united opposition on Friday spurned PM Narendra Modi's last-minute appeal for a "conscience vote" and home minister Amit Shah's offer to write into the women's reservation bill that Lok Sabha seats in all states will go up by 50% to inflict on govt its first legislative defeat in 12 years, with the proposed law failing to get the required two-thirds vote in the House.

Opposition parties - which had alleged that the bill promising women's quota from 2029 was a ploy to cut the south's representation in LS, redraw the political map to BJP's advantage and delay caste enumeration - remained unpersuaded by Shah's assertions that the weight of southern states in LS will marginally go up under the proposed formula and that govt was committed to conduct caste count.




The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill received 298 votes in support and 230 against. It needed at least 352 votes in favour from the members present in the House for passage. With the centrepiece bill falling through, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said two other bills "intrinsically" linked to the main proposal, including one on delimitation, would be withdrawn.

Reflect on your conscience, urged PM Modi ahead of vote

Though there have been instances in the past when the Modi govt has walked back its legislative initiatives — such as the farm laws that were repealed in 2021 due to unrelenting protests from a section of farmers — this is the first time when its bill has been defeated in the Parliament.

A day after Modi largely struck a non-partisan note to reach out to opposition parties for their support while warning them against women’s anger if they did not, Shah was combative in his reply to the two-day-long marathon discussion as the bill’s fate became clear.

“Let the House be adjourned for an hour; I have the amendment prepared and will come back with the amended bill,” he said to stress govt’s commitment to raising LS seats in every state by 50% and dismiss the opposition’s allegation of discrimination against south India.

BJP raced to paint Congress and other INDIA bloc members “anti-women” as women MPs of the governing NDA protested amid a drizzle in Parliament complex soon after the bill promising quota from 2029 was defeated. NDA members also held a meeting and are expected to launch a protest against their opponents.

Ahead of voting, Modi made an impassioned appeal to MPs to “reflect on your conscience” and remember women in their family to give women their rightful due and ensure the bill’s unanimous passage. “Govt has addressed all apprehensions and misconceptions related to the legislation with facts and logic. All concerns have been addressed and any gaps in information have also been filled,” he said.

For nearly four decades, he said, this issue of women’s reservation in legislative bodies has been inordinately delayed. Even after so many decades of independence, it is not right that women in India have such limited representation in this area, he added.

“On behalf of Nari Shakti, Irequest all members not to do anything that may hurt the sentiments of women across India. Crores of women are watching us, our intent and our decisions. I once again request that everyone support the amendments to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam,” he said.

As the bill failed to pass in LS and two other bills, including one for setting up a delimitation commission, no longer needed, these will not be tabled in RS. Parliament is likely to adjourn sine die when it meets Saturday, the last day of the extended Budget session.

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