The Hindu reported on its front page that a bill aimed at reserving one-third of seats for women legislators in India's lower house of parliament failed to pass on Friday, along with a separate and related proposal to expand the national legislative body through redrawing electoral boundaries.
The measure was considered one of the most significant institutional changes in India's political system since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, but it did not pass after two days of debate between government and opposition members. The committee sought to mandate a 33% representation of women in both Parliament and state legislatures, aiming to enhance female participation in systems historically underrepresented by women.
However, the quota was linked to a controversial plan to redraw Indian constituencies, which became the main point of contention. While there was broad cross-party support for increasing women’s representation, opposition parties warned that redrawing constituency boundaries and expanding the size of Parliament could tilt political balance in favor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Both bills were introduced during a three-day special parliamentary session initiated by the Modi government on Thursday, requiring approval by two-thirds of lawmakers. Legislation related to women’s quotas failed to meet this threshold, prompting the government to subsequently withdraw the delimitation proposal.
If enacted, the delimitation would increase the number of seats in the lower house from 543 to approximately 850 before the next general elections in 2029.
Main opposition groups opposed the bill, warning that using 2011 census data for constituency demarcation could shift political power toward faster-growing northern states while reducing representation, seat share, and influence in southern regions. They also argued these changes might benefit Modi’s party, which enjoys strong support in the north.
The government denied these concerns, stating the plan would uniformly increase seats by 50% across all states to maintain proportional representation nationwide. However, critics pointed out that the draft legislation did not explicitly guarantee this provision.
Hours before the vote, Modi stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the government had addressed all concerns and "misunderstandings" regarding the legislation with facts and logic.
Yet opposition leaders remained unconvinced. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress Party labeled the move as “an attempt to redraw India’s electoral map.”
Prime Minister Modi declared that the National Democratic Alliance would clear all obstacles before implementing the women’s reservation policy. He launched a fierce attack on the opposition, calling the reservation policy an urgent priority. He added that women would not forgive violations of their dignity and would respond appropriately to parties that stripped them of rights, branding the Congress Party as “anti-reform.”
Indian Prime Minister Modi said: “I know 100% of the women in this country support this initiative. I assure every woman that we will remove every obstacle in our path. We are unwavering in this endeavor, and our intent is absolutely firm.”
After the government failed to secure passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the delimitation bill—both aimed at reserving 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies—Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the National Democratic Alliance remains committed to eliminating all obstacles to this landmark reform.
Speaking nationally on Saturday, Mr. Modi launched a scathing critique of the opposition, accusing them of “killing the idea of women’s representation in front of the world” by opposing this measure.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862890313516108/
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