Women’s Reservation, Delimitation Bills Defeated In Lok Sabha As NDA Misses 2/3 Majority

The bills aimed at fast-tracking women's reservation and carrying out delimitation without a fresh Census were defeated in the Lok Sabha after the NDA government failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.

In the voting, 298 MPs supported the bills while 230 voted against them, with a total of 489 members participating. To pass the legislation, the government needed 362 votes (two-thirds majority), which it fell short of.

Notably, just 180 opposing votes were enough to block the bills, a number the opposition comfortably exceeded, leading to their defeat.

The setback is significant for the government, as the proposed laws were seen as key steps toward implementing women's reservation in upcoming elections and restructuring constituencies without waiting for a new Census.

The outcome also highlights continued political disagreement over delimitation and the timeline for introducing women's quota, ensuring that the issue will remain a major point of debate.