Lok Sabha Passes Women's Reservation Bill With A 454:2 Majority

The Lok Sabha has approved the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023, commonly referred to as the Women's Reservation Bill, reserving one-third of parliamentary and State legislative assembly seats for women. In a show of hands, 454 Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in favor of the bill, while 2 MPs voted against it.

The bill, introduced by Union Minister of State for Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday, faced opposition from MPs who had not seen a copy of the bill. The government's assertion that the bill was "uploaded in the supplementary list of business" led to its introduction by voice vote.

The Women's Reservation Bill's primary aim is to allocate one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies to women. This reservation also encompasses seats already allocated for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). However, the bill's implementation hinges on a delimitation exercise conducted in the first census following the bill's enactment.

While the Congress Party expressed support for the bill, its leader Sonia Gandhi voiced concerns about the delay associated with the census and delimitation process. She stressed the need for a caste census to ensure that women from SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) benefit from reservations.

Sonia Gandhi stated, "Congress supports the Women's Reservation Bill. We are happy with it. There is one concern as well. I want to ask a question. For 13 years, women have been waiting for their political responsibilities. Now, they are being told to wait longer. How many years? 2? 4? 8? Is this behavior appropriate? We ask that this bill be passed soon but caste census also be conducted to provide for reservation to SC, ST, and OBC women. The Government must take steps to make this happen."

Other opposition members, including Sangeeta Azad of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rahul Gandhi of the Congress Party, called for 50% reservation for women instead of 33%. They also urged the inclusion of OBC reservations in the bill.

Sangeeta Azad expressed her support for the bill, saying, "The BSP supports the Women's Reservation Bill. We want 50% reservation for women. Also, this should not be limited to SC, ST, and general-category women. OBC women should also get reservations. The caste census should be conducted soon. A delay in caste census will not be accepted."

Rahul Gandhi emphasized the importance of the OBC reservation, stating, "I think it is imperative that a large chunk of India's population, a large chunk of India's women should have access to this reservation. That is missing in this bill."

Responding to these concerns, Union Home Minister Amit Shah noted that the Constitution allows elections from three categories: the general category, including OBCs, and SCs and STs. Arjun Ram Meghwal cited Article 82 of the Constitution, highlighting seat readjustment as part of delimitation.

As stated in the statement of object and reasons, the bill's objectives underscore the importance of women's participation in decision-making, enriching legislative debates, and achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047. The bill's passage signifies a significant step towards enhancing women's political representation in India.

Author: Anushka Taraniya

News Writer, MIT ADT University