The government’s attempt to pass the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 — aimed at operationalising 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies — did not succeed in the Lok Sabha on Friday after it failed to secure the constitutionally required two-thirds majority.

The proposed amendment received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the special majority needed for passage. Following the setback, two related bills — including one proposing delimitation and a significant increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats — were not taken up for voting. The government said these measures were closely connected to the women’s reservation legislation.

The debate stretched late into Thursday night and continued into Friday, with heated arguments from both sides of the aisle.

Government’s Defence

Leading the government’s case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged MPs not to view the bill through a partisan lens. He assured southern states that expanding the Lok Sabha’s strength would not result in unfair representation and personally guaranteed that their interests would be safeguarded.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah echoed those assurances, stating that representation of southern states would either remain intact or see a marginal increase if the House’s strength rises from 543 to around 816 seats. Both leaders accused opposition parties of creating obstacles to stall a measure intended to empower women.

Opposition’s Concerns

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticised the decision to link women’s reservation with delimitation. He alleged that the government was using the quota proposal as a cover to redraw constituency boundaries to its political advantage.

Gandhi further argued that the move sidestepped demands for a caste census and could weaken representation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). He described the bill as an attempt to alter the electoral landscape rather than genuinely strengthen women’s participation.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also opposed tying reservation to delimitation based on outdated census data, saying such a step could undermine social equity. She called the bill’s defeat a victory for democratic principles.

Political Fallout

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed disappointment over the outcome, asserting that the linked bills could not proceed after the main amendment was rejected. He maintained that the government would continue its efforts to ensure greater representation for women.

BJP members staged protests within the Parliament complex, while Amit Shah accused parties such as the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK and Samajwadi Party of blocking the legislation. He warned that voters, particularly women, would respond in future elections.

Rahul Gandhi later reiterated outside Parliament that the amendment threatened constitutional principles. Posting on X, he claimed the Opposition alliance had successfully resisted what he described as an unconstitutional manoeuvre.

Sources indicated that Gandhi spoke with Abhishek Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress to thank him for supporting the Opposition’s stand — a notable gesture given that the Congress and the Trinamool are rivals in the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections despite being allies at the national level under the INDIA bloc.

The failed vote marks a significant political flashpoint, with both the government and Opposition framing the outcome as a defining moment ahead of upcoming electoral contests.