In a significant political development, the Central government faced a major setback in Parliament today. A crucial Constitutional Amendment Bill linked to women’s reservation and Lok Sabha delimitation failed to secure approval in the Lok Sabha.

The bill required a two-thirds majority to pass. However, the NDA government fell short during voting. The proposal could not gather enough support, leading to its rejection on the floor of the House.

A total of 489 Members of Parliament participated in the voting process. Out of them, 278 members voted against the bill, while 211 supported it. The sharp division in votes ultimately sealed the fate of the legislation.

The proposed amendment aimed to fast-track the implementation of women’s reservation across legislative bodies. It also sought to enable delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies without waiting for a fresh population census. This was a key departure from existing norms, where delimitation is typically based on updated census data.

The government positioned the bill as a step towards accelerating women’s political representation. At the same time, it attempted to address long-pending demands related to constituency reorganisation. However, opposition parties raised concerns over bypassing the census process and questioned the intent behind the move.

The failure of the bill highlights the challenges the Centre faces in pushing through major constitutional reforms. It also signals a lack of consensus on sensitive issues such as delimitation and reservation.

With this setback, the timeline for implementing women’s reservation may face further delays. The debate over fair representation and electoral restructuring is expected to continue both inside and outside Parliament.