New Delhi, April 16 (NationPress) The Lok Sabha has successfully approved the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, designed to promote women’s reservation and streamline the delimitation process. This approval came on Thursday after a detailed voting session in the House, prompted by the Opposition's insistence on a recorded vote, which led to a formal division.

Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal took the floor to present the Bill, marking a pivotal moment in the legislative journey. This introduction is a follow-up to a prior voting round where Members of Parliament expressed their support for advancing the Bill for further discussion.

Alongside the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 were also introduced.

In a previous session, the Lok Sabha voted overwhelmingly in favor of introducing the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, following the Opposition's demand for a division.

Speaker Om Birla announced the results, revealing a tally of 251 votes in favor and 185 against, clarifying that this outcome may be subject to change.

Typically, the Lok Sabha relies on voice voting for motions, but when the results are disputed, a “division” is initiated. In these instances, the Automatic Vote Recorder system is employed to categorize votes into “Ayes”, “Noes”, and “Abstain”.

During the division of votes, slips were utilized, with a total of 333 members participating in the voting process, and no abstentions recorded.

“If any member wishes to modify their vote, they can request a vote via slips,” the Lok Sabha Secretary General informed the members earlier.

The Opposition's insistence on a division arose during the voting on the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which required a simple majority to pass, with the voting process executed amidst a surge in political activity.

Secretary General Utpal Singh provided members with insights on the functioning of the automatic vote recording system, emphasizing that while voice votes are standard, a division is called when requested by members.

“Votes will not be counted if they are pressed before the first gong or if they aren’t pressed together until the second gong. Members can verify their votes on the individual results board,” Singh stated.

“If any member wishes to change their vote, they may call for voting through slips,” he reiterated.

--IASN

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