Women’s Reservation Bill Linked to Delimitation Falls, But the Puzzle Remains: Why Did Modi-Shah Risk a Defeat?

Even after its rejection, the mystery behind the purpose of introducing this bill remains unsolved. During the debate on the bill, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had reminded everyone on Friday that the BJP is not foolish. So the big question is: What exactly was the BJP’s intention and motive?

The two-day debate in the Lok Sabha on the Women’s Reservation Bill failed to answer several important questions. The bill, which was reintroduced after being passed unanimously in 2023, could not secure the required 'special majority' of 360 votes in a 540-member House. Only 298 MPs voted in favour, while 230 voted against it.

No MP was absent, and a total of 528 members participated in the voting. The two other related bills concerning delimitation of constituencies and increasing the size of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats were not even put to vote. This was the first time in the last 12 years that a constitutional amendment bill introduced by the Modi government failed to pass.

On Friday, 17 April 2026, around 7 PM, Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved an amendment proposing a 50% increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats for every state. He requested the Speaker to adjourn the House for one hour and announced, “I will move an official amendment and provide copies to all members.”

There were indications on Thursday itself that the government might bring a supplementary list with such a proposal on Friday. The opposition rejected the proposal, saying the time given was too short and it had come too late.

The crucial question is: Why did the government risk a major political defeat by staking its prestige on this bill when it knew it did not have the required numbers? There is also no evidence that the government made any serious effort to reach out to opposition parties and secure their support. Despite repeated requests and letters from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to the Prime Minister, no all-party meeting was ever called.

The government kept all three bills completely secret until the evening of 14 April and uploaded the drafts for MPs just 36 hours before introducing them in the Lok Sabha. Did the BJP believe that the opposition would split on this issue?

On Friday, neither Home Minister Amit Shah nor Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju explained why the Women’s Reservation Bill passed in 2023 was re-notified in the Gazette late on the night of 16 April — after the first day of debate on the bill, when the discussion was still incomplete. So what did the BJP hope to achieve? What was its plan? Or was this merely a desperate attempt to divert attention from the economic crisis and foreign policy failures that are now clearly visible?

A few hours before the voting on the bill in the Lok Sabha, The Indian Express spoke to several BJP leaders, possibly MPs. One of them said, “The opposition appears united. They don’t want to let the bill pass. In such a situation, we have no option but to become martyrs. So far, there is no indication of withdrawing the bill. Withdrawing it would look bad. The defeat of the bills can be used as a political weapon against the opposition.”

Expecting the opposition to fracture without even contacting them goes against the BJP’s nature. This is not a party that leaves things to chance. Then why did they stir the hornet’s nest? As Rahul Gandhi said, the BJP is not foolish.

As it stands today, the Women’s Reservation Bill will have to wait for the 2027 Census and the subsequent recommendations of the Delimitation Commission before it can be implemented. The opposition will undoubtedly demand that it be implemented immediately for the 2029 general elections within the existing 543 seats of the Lok Sabha. For now, the BJP has lost this battle. But the war is still far from over.