The two-day debate in the Lok Sabha on the women’s reservation Bill failed to answer several critical questions. While the Bill, reintroduced after the 2023 legislation was unanimously passed, failed to secure the ‘special majority’ of 360 votes in a House of 540 (298 MPs voted in favour and 230 against, with no abstentions and 528 MPs present and voting), the two other Bills linked to the proposal — on delimitation of constituencies and increasing the size of the Lok Sabha to 850 — were not taken up for voting.

This is the first time in 12 years that a Constitution amendment Bill introduced by the Modi government has been defeated. It is also the first ‘official’ (government-introduced) Bill to be defeated in the Lok Sabha since 1990 and the first to be defeated in Parliament since 2002. That leaves the mystery of the motive unresolved. The BJP is not stupid, as Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reminded us during his address to the House. So, what was the plan?

It was at around 7.00 pm on Friday, 17 April that Union home minister Amit Shah offered to move an amendment committing to a 50 per cent increase in the number of Lok Sabha MPs for every state. “Adjourn........

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