Women’s Reservation Bill Fails in Lok Sabha: What’s Next for Gender Equality in Politics?

Lok Sabha Votes Down Women’s Reservation Bill

New Delhi: A proposed Constitutional Amendment aimed at reserving seats for women in legislative bodies by 2029 was rejected in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The voting results showed 298 members in favor of the Bill, while 230 opposed it. Out of the 528 members who participated in the vote, a two-thirds majority of 352 votes was necessary for the Bill to pass.

The amendment sought to raise the number of Lok Sabha seats from the current 543 to a maximum of 850, intending to implement the women’s reservation law ahead of the 2029 parliamentary elections, contingent upon a delimitation process based on the 2011 Census.

Additionally, the proposal included increasing seats in state and Union Territory assemblies to ensure a 33 percent reservation for women.