NEW DELHI, April 18: The Central government's ambitious attempt to fast-track the implementation of women's reservations in legislative bodies suffered a significant setback on Thursday when the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha, falling short of the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment.

Of the 528 members who participated in the division voting, 298 voted in favour of the Bill while 230 voted against it. The Bill required 352 votes for passage, and with the ruling National Democratic Alliance failing to bridge a gap of 54 votes, Speaker Om Birla officially declared the Bill defeated.

Following the defeat, the Central government also withdrew two related pieces of legislation — proposals pertaining to amendments to Union Territory laws and delimitation. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju made the announcement in the House.

BJP members, incensed by the outcome, staged a dharna outside Parliament in protest.

Early implementation of women's quota was the objective

The 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill had been introduced with the specific aim of reducing the long wait for the women's reservation law to come into force. Parliament had already passed the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act — the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — in 2023 with unanimous support. However, that legislation contains a provision linking its implementation to the completion of a fresh census and subsequent delimitation exercise, effectively pushing enforcement to 2029 or later.

To circumvent this delay, the Central government proposed expanding the Lok Sabha's strength from the current 543 seats to 850, and carving out a dedicated women's quota within this expanded House without disturbing existing SC, ST, and general category seats.

Three days of special sessions, 21 hours of debate

The Bills had been introduced in the House on April 16 following three days of special sessions convened specifically for the purpose. Deliberations stretched over 21 hours, with sharp exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches. A particularly heated confrontation took place between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Opposition, particularly parties representing southern States, raised strong objections, contending that the delimitation exercise as proposed carried the risk of reducing parliamentary representation for States in the south. They argued that delimitation should be undertaken only after a caste census, maintaining that social justice could not be achieved otherwise.

Amit Shah assures 50 per cent seat increase for all States

Responding to concerns about regional imbalance, Mr. Shah gave categorical assurances on the floor of the House that seats in every State would be increased by at least 50 per cent and that no State would be disadvantaged. He urged members not to divide the country along north-south lines, asserting that all States enjoyed equal rights under the Constitution.

In a significant gesture, Mr. Shah offered to formally amend the Bill on the spot if members felt the 50 per cent guarantee was not explicitly stated. "Give me one hour and I will incorporate it as an official amendment," he declared.

Had the Bill cleared the Lok Sabha, it would have proceeded to the Rajya Sabha for consideration. With its defeat at the first stage, the government's bid to advance the timeline for women's reservations has, for now, come to a halt. The Centre is yet to indicate its next course of action.