Parliament LIVE | No two-thirds majority: Women's Quota Amendment Bill fails in LS

Priyanka Chaturvedi rues defeat of bill

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Friday diverged from her party's stand and rued the defeat of the Women Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha, calling it a sad day for women who hoped to find themselves in the parliament or assembly.

In a post on X, Chaturvedi said, "Sad day for India's women who hoped to find themselves in the parliament or assembly." "I have a stand on women's reservation and consistently have had it and I will continue to express it. Deal with it," the former Rajya Sabha MP said in another post. Chaturvedi's term in the RS ended this month.

According to the Constitution Amendment Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

On Thursday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had demanded that the Centre immediately implement the 2023 Act that gives 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and put on hold the process of delimitation of constituencies.

In a brief statement, the former Maharashtra CM had said delimitation, or redrawing, of constituencies is not about any one party's political future, but it is an exercise about nation's future. 

Our struggle is not over: DMK MP Wilson

DMK MP P Wilson tweeted that the Opposition has managed to get the Bill defeated, but there is still a long way to go. 

Capital Beat | What next for Nari Shakti legislation?

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Constitution 106th Amendment Act, 2023) was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday after the NDA failed to secure the required two-thirds majority for a Constitutional amendment. The outcome raises key questions: What are the major takeaways for the government and the Opposition? Did the special session of Parliament go waste? And will the government reconsider its approach to building consensus on crucial legislation?

Watch Capital Beat host Neelu Vyas in conversation with Puneet Nicholas Yadav, Political Editor of The Federal, and Shabnam Hashmi, Social Activist.

Attempts to bring in a delimitation & gerrymandering thwarted: Karti Chidambaram

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the BJP government's "attempts to bring in a delimitation & gerrymandering bill" has been "stoutly resisted & thwarted". 

Today will be remembered forever as a Red-letter Day: Revanth Reddy

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy hailed the non-passaged of the Nari Shakti amendment, saying today would be a red-letter day in Indian history. "I thank leaders of various allied parties who united and stood steadfast under fire to defeat these black bills," he tweeted.

'Nefarious and mischievous attempt of PM and HM defeated': Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted: "The nefarious and mischievous attempt of the PM and HM to link their dangerous delimitation proposals to women’s reservation (that had already been settled) has been decisively defeated in the Lok Sabha. This is a win for our democracy, our federalism, and the Constitution. This also calls into question the legitimacy of the non-biological, non-grihasthi PM."

33% of 543 seats for women is still on: Experts

The Women's Reservation Act (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), which came into effect yesterday, continues to ensure 33% reservation for women, legal experts aid. The government now needs to introduce a Bill to identify and reserve the one-third seats among the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats, they added.

India has seen it, INDIA has stopped it: Rahul Gandhi

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi hailed the failure of the amendment bill. He wrote in Hindi:

"India has seen it.

INDIA has stopped it.

Hail the Constitution."

'Tamil Nadu defeats Delhi,' says MK Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said "Tamil Nadu defeats Delhi" on the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha.

Quickly reacting to the defeat of the bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha was defeated in the Lower House, Stalin posted in social media a portrait of him setting on fire a copy of the delimitation bill.

Further, Stalin said: "On April 23, we will defeat Delhi's arrogance, together with slaves who support that arrogance."

Lok Sabha adjourned