THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, April 17: The 131st Constitution Amendment Bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha on Friday after it did not secure the required majority. Of the 489 members present and voting, 278 voted in favour, while 211 opposed the Bill. There were no abstentions.
The voting took place after an extensive debate on proposed amendments related to the women’s reservation law and a fresh delimitation exercise.
Govt defends delimitation, Opposition calls it ‘anti-national’
Replying to the debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said delimitation is necessary to correct the imbalance in the ratio of voters to Members of Parliament.
However, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi strongly opposed the Bill, alleging that it has little to do with women’s reservation and is instead aimed at altering India’s electoral map. He claimed it would reduce representation of southern, northeastern and smaller States, calling it “nothing short of an anti-national act.”
Debate continues over women’s quota, implementation timeline
The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, which provides 33% reservation for women in legislatures, came into force on April 16, 2026, as per a Union Law Ministry notification. However, questions remain over its timing, as Parliament is currently debating amendments linked to its implementation, expected around 2029 after delimitation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have assured that representation of southern States will not decline after delimitation, stating that their seat share is projected to increase marginally.