Constitution (131 Amendment) Bill, Delimitation Bill, Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
New Delhi, April 16
The Constitution Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws Bill, 2026 were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after the Opposition pressed for a division against the move to introduce three Bills, instead of a voice vote.
Secretary General of the Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh had explained the procedure of casting a 'AYES', 'NOES', or 'ABSTAIN' vote to obtain the division through their respective systems in the Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla initiated the division to move to introduce the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The Opposition members in the Lok Sabha had pressed for a division against the move to introduce the bill.
As per the final division, there were a total of 251 AYES and 185 NOES out of the total 333 votes.
With the 251 AYES majority, all three Bills, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, were introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha primarily uses voice voting, but if challenged, a "division" is called, where the Automatic Vote Recorder (Ayes, Noes, Abstain) is utilised.
Vote slips are now being used in the Lok Sabha, following the division of votes where 333 members voted with no abstentions.
Following the use of vote slips, the distribution stands as: 251 AYEs and 185 NOEs.
The government has convened a special sitting of Parliament on April 16,17,18 to pass the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
The government has been seeking opposition support for passing the amendment bill to implement the women's reservation bill from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls on the basis of the 2011 census.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged opposition parties to support the amendment to ensure the women's reservation comes into effect from the 2029 general elections.
"This is the wish of every sister and daughter of this country, and we must fulfil it with unanimity," he said at an event in Dehradun on Tuesday.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The Delimitation Bill is crucial. Our parliamentary constituencies haven't been updated for decades while population distribution has changed massively. It's high time for this exercise, though it must be done fairly without any political bias.
Good to see the division process being used transparently. 251 to 185 is a clear mandate. The opposition has a right to dissent, but ultimately, the government has the numbers. Now the real debate on the bills' merits should begin in the House.
While I support women's reservation, I'm concerned about bundling multiple significant bills together. Each one—Constitutional amendment, delimitation, UT laws—deserves its own thorough discussion. Rushing them in a special session feels like bypassing detailed scrutiny.
The Union Territories Laws Bill is also important. UTs like Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Puducherry have unique governance challenges. Hope this amendment brings more clarity and empowerment to their administrations, not more central control.
Waited for this for so long! 33% reservation for women in Parliament will change the face of Indian politics. My daughter will see a more representative democracy. Let's hope all parties keep politics aside and pass this historic amendment. 💪
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