Constitutional Amendment Bill To Provide 10 Per Cent Reservation Passes Lok Sabha Test, All Eyes On Rajya Sabha

The Lok Sabha has passed after a long debate a constitutional amendment bill to provide 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for ‘economically weak’ people across castes and religions, with virtually all parties supporting it despite the Opposition calling the proposed law a pre-poll ‘stunt’ of the Modi government.

The bill, which the government said was “historic” and in the country’s interest, will now be tabled on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha where proceedings have already been extended by a day.

After a debate that continued for over four-and-a-half hours, 323 Lok Sabha members voted in support of the bill and only three voted against it, underlining the cross-party support given political significance of the proposed legislation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as also Congress president Rahul Gandhi were present when the voting took place.

Being a constitutional amendment bill, it will require presence of at least half of the members even in the upper house and support from two-third of them.