The Lok Sabha on Thursday voted against the Constitution Amendment Bill for delimitation, with the proposed legislation failing to secure the required majority for passage.
According to official voting figures, the bill received 278 votes in favour (ayes) and 211 votes against (nays), taking the total number of votes cast to 489. However, as a Constitution Amendment Bill, it required a significantly higher threshold to pass in the House.
Under constitutional provisions, such a bill must secure the support of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting, along with a majority of the total strength of the House. In this case, the bill needed 326 affirmative votes to be approved. Falling short by 48 votes, the legislation was consequently defeated.
The proposed amendment was aimed at addressing issues related to delimitation—the process of redrawing boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies to reflect changes in population and ensure balanced representation. Delimitation exercises are typically carried out periodically to maintain electoral equity across regions.
The outcome of the vote indicates that the bill did not garner sufficient cross-party support to meet the constitutional requirements. As a result, the status quo regarding the current delimitation framework will continue unless a revised proposal is introduced in the future.
The voting process and final tally were recorded as part of parliamentary proceedings, reflecting the formal decision of the House on the proposed constitutional change.
Further developments, including any potential reconsideration or reintroduction of the bill, are expected to depend on future legislative and political deliberations.