New Delhi, April 16 (NationPress) Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Thursday in the Lok Sabha that a comprehensive debate is set to take place on three pivotal Bills concerning women's reservation and delimitation, with a vote planned for Friday.

While addressing the House, Rijiju stated, "The discussion will span 12 hours. The Speaker should possess the discretion to prolong the discussion period as needed. Voting on the Bills will occur tomorrow."

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla later confirmed that the debate could extend beyond the initial schedule if necessary, showing flexibility to allow thorough discussions among members.

He remarked, "Discussion on these three Bills will take place over 15-18 hours. Voting will be held at 4 p.m. tomorrow." He also assured that all members will be granted sufficient time to express their views during the discussion.

The introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, designed to enable women’s reservation and facilitate delimitation, received approval in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after a division of votes in the House. This followed a demand from the Opposition for a recorded vote, which resulted in a formal division process.

Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal presented the Bill in the House, marking a significant advancement in the legislative process. This introduction followed a previous vote in which MPs supported advancing the Bill for discussion.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the Delimitation Bill 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, were introduced as part of this legislative session.

Previously, the Lok Sabha voted in favor of introducing the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, following the Opposition's insistence on a division.

Following the use of vote slips, the count revealed 251 votes in support and 185 against, as announced by Speaker Om Birla, although he noted that this is subject to change.

The Lok Sabha traditionally utilizes voice voting to pass motions; however, when the outcome is disputed, a "division" is conducted. In such instances, the Automatic Vote Recorder system is employed to log votes categorized as "Ayes," "Noes," and "Abstain."

Subsequently, vote slips were also used during the proceedings after the division, with a total of 333 members participating in the voting, and no abstentions recorded during that round.

“If any member wishes to modify their vote, they can request voting via slips,” the Lok Sabha Secretary General had previously informed the House.

The Opposition had demanded a division as the House proceeded with voting on the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill. This motion required a simple majority to pass, and the voting process was executed accordingly amid increased political engagement.