NEW DELHI, April 17 — A Constitution Amendment Bill to reserve 33 percent of seats for women in legislatures from 2029 and increase Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday, marking the first time a bill under the Narendra Modi government has been rejected in Parliament. The government called the outcome a setback but said its struggle to secure women’s representation will continue.
While 298 members voted in favour, 230 opposed the bill; 528 MPs cast votes in all. The amendment required a two‑third majority of those voting — 352 votes — to pass and therefore fell short. After the result, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House for the day and said it would reconvene on Saturday. The three‑day special sitting had been convened from April 16 to 18 to seek Parliament’s approval for the measure.
Under the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Lok Sabha would have been increased from 543 to 816 seats to “operationalise” the women’s reservation law ahead of the 2029 general election, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. State and Union territory assemblies were also to see seat increases to accommodate the proposed 33 percent reservation for women.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior ministers including Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah were present in the House for the vote. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Speaker that the government would not proceed with two related bills — the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill — because they were linked to the constitutional amendment.
Rijiju said the Opposition had missed “a historic opportunity to honour the country’s women” and vowed, “We will not take rest till we ensure that the country’s women get reservation in legislatures.” He later accused the Congress of being “anti‑women,” saying the party celebrated the bill’s defeat. Union Home Minister Amit Shah blamed the Congress, TMC, DMK and Samajwadi Party for blocking the measure and condemned opposition celebrations, saying in a post on X that the outcome denied women their rights and reflected a mindset “neither in the interest of women nor of the country.”
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi told the House the amendment had “nothing to do with women’s reservation” and called it an attempt to redraw India’s electoral map to retain power. He described the move as a “shameful act” and said the proposal did not address women’s empowerment. (PTI)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/04/18/womens-reservation-bill-fails-lok-sabha-floor-test/
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Publish Date: 2026-04-18 03:32:00
