Women’s Reservation Bill Fails in Lok Sabha
Govt falls short of two-thirds majority; delimitation bills deferred
- Bill gets 298 votes in favour, 230 against
- Falls short of required two-thirds majority
- Linked delimitation bills not taken up
- Govt and Opposition trade sharp charges
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th April: The proposed amendment to the Women’s Reservation Bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha on Friday after the Centre fell short of securing the required two-thirds majority.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, missing the threshold needed for passage.
Linked Bills Put on Hold
Following the setback, two related bills — including those on delimitation and increasing Lok Sabha seats — were not put to vote. The government said these were “intrinsically linked” to the women’s reservation legislation.
Government’s Strong Pitch
During the marathon debate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged members to support the bill, calling it a matter of national interest.
“Do not see this from a political lens… this is in national interest,” he said, assuring that no injustice would be done to southern states in any future seat expansion.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah echoed similar assurances, stating that representation of southern states would be preserved or may even increase.
Opposition Raises Concerns
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi opposed linking the bill with delimitation, alleging it was a strategy to redraw the electoral map.
“This is not a women’s bill… it is an attempt to change the country’s electoral structure,” he said, also raising concerns about the absence of a caste census.
Political Showdown Intensifies
The government accused opposition parties of blocking a long-pending reform, while the Opposition countered that the bill was being used for political gains.
With the bill failing to clear Parliament, the issue of women’s reservation — and its linkage with delimitation — is set to remain a major political flashpoint.
