Women’s Quota-Linked Bill Falls: Modi Govt's First Loss in Parliament—What Next?
298 MPs voted in favour of the Bill and 230 voted against it, falling short of the two-thirds majority required.
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The Constitution Amendment Bill providing 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and legislative bodies was defeated in the Lok Sabha on 17 April, Friday, with the Modi government failing to get a two-third majority in the House.
In the vote division, 298 MPs voted in favour of the Bill and 230 voted against it. Since this is a constitution amendment, it required a two-third majority—and not a simple majority.
The Opposition made it clear that they are in support of women's reservation but they accused the Modi government of carrying out "delimitation by stealth" using women's reservation as a trojan horse.
"We are in favour of women's reservation. If the government implements the Women's Reservation Bill passed in 2023, the entire Opposition will support it without exception," Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi told the media.
Why is this Important?
This is the first Bill by the Narendra Modi government to be defeated in Parliament. The government did face obstacles in a number of past legislations, such as the Land Acquisition legislation in the beginning of its first term and farm laws in the beginning of its second term.
However, this is the first time that the government has failed to push through a Bill that was put to vote.
Some of the past instances in which the government of the day failed to push through legislations include the Prevention of Terror Law that was brought by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2002. It was defeated in the Rajya Sabha but the government eventually got it passed through a joint session.
The 64th Constitution Amendment giving constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions was defeated in the Rajya Sabha. It was brought by the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government. It was later passed as the 73rd Amendment under the PV Narasimha Rao-led Congress government.
What Went Wrong?
The Women's Reservation Bill was passed in 2023 and the Opposition had supported it. However, the Opposition parties opposed it this time as they saw it as an attempt to link it to delimitation.
Delimitation became a sticking point between the government and the Opposition due to two reasons.
First, because it was expected to reduce representation of southern states.
Second, there were fears that delimitation would lead to 'gerrymandering' of constituencies ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
What Happens Next?
The defeat of the Bill can cut both ways.
The BJP is likely to use this as a tool to accuse the Opposition of being "anti-women". The BJP's women MPs protested outside Parliament soon after the defeat of the Bill and criticised the Opposition.
Conversely, the Opposition has tasted blood, giving the Modi government its first defeat in the Lok Sabha.
It is curious why the government chose to bring the Bill at this juncture, knowing very well that it didn't have numbers for a Constitutional Amendment.
While the Opposition may have managed to avert delimitation for now, it is likely to take place after the next census, which is presently underway.
The government is unlikely to accede to the Opposition's demand to delink the women's reservation bill from delimitation.