LokSabha passes women's reservation bill by 454 votes to 2

[Anta Assamey]

The historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam or the women's reservation bill was passed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday after the culmination of a day-long discussion, by a overwhelming 454 votes, with two members voting against it.

The 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed after voting.

Several members namely Asaduddin Owaisi, Hibi Eden, N.K. Premachandran, Sougata Ray, A.M. Ariff and E.T Mohammed Bashir had moved amendments but did not pursue them.

Earlier, several members beginning with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Mahua Moitra and many others participated in the discussion on the bill.

Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal tabled the Bill in the inaugural sitting of the Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building. He emphasised that the government is taking a step towards women's empowerment by proposing a new Bill to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

Meghwal further explained that once the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is passed, the number of seats for women in the Lok Sabha will increase to 181.