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New Delhi: The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, aimed at advancing 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday after a united Opposition voted against the proposal, denying the government the crucial two-thirds majority required for passage.
Out of 489 Members of Parliament present and voting, the Bill secured 278 votes in favour and 211 against, falling short of the 352 votes needed for a constitutional amendment. Announcing the result, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed that the legislation had failed to meet the special majority threshold.
Heated showdown before decisive vote
The debate preceding the vote turned sharply political, with the Treasury benches and the Opposition trading strong accusations over intent and design of the legislation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on Opposition parties moments before the vote, warning that “women of India will never forgive” those opposing the Bill.
Shah accused the Opposition bloc of repeatedly obstructing women’s reservation over decades, alleging that they had once again resorted to “ifs and buts” to block a historic reform. He rejected concerns raised by the Opposition regarding delimitation, caste census delays, and regional imbalance, asserting that such arguments were misleading and politically motivated.
Opposition’s conditional support turns into rejection.
The Opposition, while reiterating support for women’s reservation in principle, opposed the current framework of the Bill. It demanded that the rollout of reservations be delinked from delimitation and that any increase in Lok Sabha and Assembly seats be applied uniformly across states, ensuring no regional imbalance.
Leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, argued that the proposed structure could alter India’s electoral map in favour of certain regions, raising concerns over federal balance and fair representation. The failure to accommodate these demands ultimately led to a consolidated Opposition vote against the Bill.
The government withdraws the allied legislations
Following the defeat, the government chose not to proceed with the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, both of which were closely linked to the implementation framework of women’s reservation.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed disappointment, stating that the Opposition had “missed a historic opportunity” to empower women politically. He added that the government would continue its efforts to ensure women receive their due representation in legislatures.
Political and policy implications
The Bill’s failure highlights deep fault lines over representation, delimitation, and federal balance, despite broad consensus on the principle of women’s reservation. While the government framed the legislation as a transformative step toward inclusive governance, the Opposition viewed it through the lens of electoral restructuring.
With the proposal now stalled, the future timeline for implementing women’s reservation remains uncertain, setting the stage for the issue to remain a major political flashpoint in upcoming elections.
