Lok Sabha Defeat for NDA on Women’s Reservation Bill; Inside Story of Opposition Unity

New Delhi: The central government has suffered a major setback in the Lok Sabha on the implementation of the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Act' related to giving 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies. Due to united opposition from the opposition, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill could not be passed in the House on Friday, April 17, 2026. In the voting, 298 members voted in favor while 230 voted against. A two-thirds majority (352 votes) was required, which was not met. This is considered to be the first major legislative defeat of the NDA government in Parliament after 2014.

Why could the bill not be passed?

To amend the Constitution, two-thirds support of the members present in the House was required. A total of 528 members were present in the Lok Sabha and 489 members voted at the time of voting. The government wanted 352 votes but got only 298. The opposition remained united and protested till the last moment. Members of the Indian alliance including Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party stopped the bill.

On which issues did the opposition protest?

The opposition alleged this would impact the representation of South Indian states. He said that re-determination of seats on the basis of 2011 census may reduce the parliamentary seats of the southern states. He also called it a conspiracy to disturb the political balance in favor of the ruling party before the 2029 elections. Many members also accused of trying to postpone the caste census.

What was the impact of Prime Minister Modi's appeal?

Before voting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an emotional appeal to the MPs. He said that the women of the country are keeping an eye on this decision and the MPs should take the decision after listening to the voice of conscience. Modi requested not to snatch new opportunities from women. But the opposition did not accept this appeal and remained firm on its stand. Rahul Gandhi later said, “India saw, India stopped.” 

What happened to Amit Shah's amendment proposal?

Home Minister Amit Shah suggested changes in the bill in the House. It also included a proposal for a 50 percent proportionate increase for all states. He also proposed to adjourn the House for a while so that the amended Bill could be introduced. But the opposition did not agree to this and dropped the bill.

What steps did the government take after this?

After the failure of the bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju indicated that other bills related to it will also not be taken forward. These included bills related to delimitation and union territories. The government is now considering further strategies. Rijiju said that the campaign to give respect and rights to women will continue under the leadership of the prime minister.

Is this the first such defeat of the government?

According to political analysts, in recent years the government has had to face opposition from the opposition on many issues, but the incident of a major bill failing like this in Parliament is significant. Three agricultural laws were withdrawn in 2021, but that was not because of the defeat in Parliament but under the pressure of the farmers' movement.