The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha was defeated on Friday in the Lower House after the Centre fell short of the votes required for its passage.
The government needed a two-thirds majority to secure approval for the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, but managed only 298 votes in favour, while 230 members opposed it. With 528 MPs participating in the division, the legislation required 352 votes to pass.
Following the defeat, two related bills, including one proposing delimitation and an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats, were not taken up for voting.
The debate in the Lower House stretched late into Thursday night and continued on Friday, with the government strongly advocating 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading the government’s case, sought to address concerns raised by opposition parties, particularly over the impact of seat redistribution on southern states. He said he personally assured the House that no injustice would be done to the southern region if the strength of the Lok Sabha was expanded. He urged members to back the measure, saying it should be viewed in the national interest rather than through a political lens.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also told the House that the existing representation of southern states would either remain intact or rise marginally if the number of Lok Sabha seats increased from the present 543 to around 816.
Both Modi and Shah accused the Congress and other opposition parties of creating obstacles to oppose the legislation and depriving women of reservation, asserting that such resistance would carry political consequences.
The rejected bill sought to fast-track the implementation of women’s reservation and permit delimitation without waiting for a fresh Census. It aimed to amend provisions linked to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.
The amendments were intended to operationalise the quota before the 2029 general elections. They also proposed raising the strength of the Lok Sabha to as many as 850 seats to facilitate implementation of the reservation framework.
After the voting, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju withdrew the bill, following which the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 11 am on Saturday.
(WIth inputs from PTI)