After unprecedented disruptions and bedlam, the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday evening finally passed the historic women's reservation bill reserving one-third seats for women in parliament and state legislatures.

There were 186 votes in favour of the bill and one against.

The Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Left Front voted for the bill. The two MPs of the Trinamool Congress, the government’s second biggest ally, abstained from voting. Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) MPs walked out of the house before voting, claiming that the bill didn’t address their demands.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his speech during the vote, says the bill was “a celebration of our regard and respect for our culture”.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley, Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Brinda Karat, Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Satish Mishra and Jayanthi Natarajan of Congress took part in the debate for the bill.