LS passes Women Reservation Bill with overwhelming support from Govt, Oppn

27 Women MPs cutting across party lines participate in debate, all back it 

PTI, NEW DELHI, SEPT 20, 2023 : The Lok Sabha today witnessed a rare display of bipartisan consensus in the Parliament, as it passed the Women Reservation Bill with overwhelming support. In the voting through slips, 454 members voted in favour for the Women Reservation Bill and only two members voted against it. 

The Narendra Modi-led Union government introduced the Women Reservation Bill, formally called the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. 

The Women Reservation Bill seeks to reserve one- third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and in the assemblies of states and Union Territories (UTs). Since the Women Reservation Bill involves amending the Constitution of India, a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting in the house was required for its passage. 

A similar two-thirds majority would be required for the passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha. 

While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a simple majority on its own in the Lok Sabha, it does not have a two-thirds majority and had to depend on bipartisan support for the bill. After clearing Lok Sabha, the Women Reservation Bill would go to the Rajya Sabha and would later go to the President of India to be signed into law. 

There have been demands for a long time for reservation of seats for women in the Parliament and state legislatures and, in the run-up to the Special Session of the Parliament, parties across the spectrum had called for the passage of the Women Reservation Bill. 

It deserves mention here that 27 women MPs cutting across party lines spoke during the debate on the Billl in Lok Sabha, with BJP legislators coming out in support of it and the Opposition parties also backing it while demanding its immediate implementation. 

At present, there are 82 women MPs in Lok Sabha, out of the total strength of 543. Initiating the debate on the bill from the Opposition's side, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said that any delay in bringing the reservation into effect would be "gross injustice" to Indian women. 

"Rajiv Gandhi's dream is only half fulfilled. It will be fulfilled with the passage of this bill. The Congress supports this bill. We will be happy with the passage of this bill but we also have a concern. I want to ask a question. 

For the last 13 years, Indian women have been waiting for their political responsibilities, and now they are being asked to wait for a few more years -- two years, four years, six years, eight years," the former Congress chief said