New Delhi: The historic bill providing 33 per cent reservation to women in parliament and state assemblies was passed in the Lok Sabha today after hours of fierce debate. This is the first time the bill was introduced and passed in the lower house.
The bill was passed through voice vote in new parliament during a five-day special session called on the occasion of 75 years of Indian Independence.
The bill was passed with the support of 454 MPs. Only Two MPs voted against it. The bill will be presented in Rajya Sabha tomorrow, the Day Four of the special session.
The implementation of the quota, though, can take place only after a census and delimitation, which pushes it back by at least six years — a matter that has provided ammunition to the Opposition.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, however, said both delimitation and census will begin after next year’s general election.
This is the first time the bill has been able to clear the Lok Sabha. The 2008 bill drafted by the UPA government was only able to clear the Rajya Sabha test before being scuttled by parties demanding quota for Other Backward Classes as well.
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