‘Big win for democracy’: Priyanka Gandhi after delimitation bill defeated in Lok Sabha | India News

NEW DELHI: Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday hailed the defeat of the Delimitation Bill as a “victory of democracy” and accused the Centre of hatching a conspiracy of undermining the federalism of the country.Her remarks come amid an intensifying political standoff between the ruling BJP-led government and opposition parties over the failed legislation, which was linked to the implementation of women’s reservation through a delimitation exercise. The bill could not secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, with 298 members voting in favour and 230 opposing it.Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced that the Constitution Amendment Bill had not been passed. Following the outcome, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government would not proceed with the remaining two interlinked bills.The BJP has accused opposition parties of blocking a historic reform aimed at ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that parties like Congress, TMC, and others prevented the passage of the bill and warned of political consequences.However, the opposition has maintained that it supports women’s reservation in principle but opposes linking it with delimitation and census processes. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, described the bill as an attempt to alter India’s electoral structure, while several Congress leaders termed the vote a defence of democratic values