BJP’s Delimitation Attempt Fails: Women’s Reservation Falls in Lok Sabha, Government Fails to Secure Majority

The government had also introduced the ‘Delimitation Bill, 2026’ and the ‘Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026’ along with this bill for discussion and passage, but they could not be taken forward either. Any constitutional amendment bill requires a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, which the government could not achieve, and the bill was defeated.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that after the failure of the Constitution Amendment Bill, the two related bills — ‘Delimitation Bill, 2026’ and ‘Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026’ — cannot be proceeded with.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said after the Constitution Amendment Bill related to women’s reservation failed to pass that it was an attack on the Constitution, which the opposition has foiled.

He said that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi genuinely wants to implement women’s reservation, he should implement the law passed in 2023, and the opposition will extend full cooperation.

The Congress leader said, “This was not a women’s (reservation) bill. It was an attempt to change the political and electoral structure of India. It was an attack on the Constitution. We have stopped it.”

Rahul Gandhi further said, “I want to tell the Prime Minister, if you want to bring the Women’s Reservation Bill, then implement the 2023 Women’s Reservation Bill from today itself. The entire opposition will give you 100 percent support. If this is done, we will immediately get the women’s reservation bill implemented.”

The Congress party stated that the opposition has defeated the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah’s “cunning attempt” to link the delimitation proposal with women’s reservation.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that this is a victory for federalism and the Constitution. Ramesh wrote on ‘X’: “The cunning and sly attempt by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to link women’s reservation (on which a decision had already been made) with their dangerous delimitation proposals has been decisively defeated in the Lok Sabha.”

He said the way forward for the Modi government is clear — it should implement 33% reservation for women in the current structure of the Lok Sabha for the 2029 elections. Ramesh added, “This has been the consistent demand of the entire opposition since the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, was passed unanimously by Parliament in September 2023, which was finally notified late last night.”

Meanwhile, after the Constitution Amendment Bill linking delimitation with women’s reservation was rejected, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin said that Tamil Nadu has defeated Delhi. Stalin said that on 23 April, we will defeat Delhi’s arrogance and the slaves who support that arrogance.

On the failure of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi said, “The way the government presented this bill, its passage was impossible. They linked women’s reservation with delimitation and the old census, which is why it was not passed.”