NDA Fails To Secure 2/3 Majority On Women’s Quota, Delimitation Bill; Stages Protest As Gandhi Calls It A Win

The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 failed to pass in the Lok Sabha after the government could not secure the required two-thirds majority.

The bill aimed to fast-track women's reservation and carry out delimitation without waiting for a fresh Census.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed that the bill did not pass as it failed to meet the two-thirds majority required during voting. Following the result, the House was adjourned till the next day.

Voting Numbers That Led to Defeat

During the voting, 298 MPs supported the bill while 230 voted against it, with a total of 489 members participating.

To pass the bill, the government needed 362 votes (two-thirds majority). However, this mark was not achieved. Notably, just 180 opposing votes were enough to defeat the bill, a number the opposition crossed comfortably.

NDA Leaders Protest After Setback

Following the defeat, leaders of the ruling NDA staged a protest within the Parliament premises, expressing strong disappointment over the outcome. The protest reflected the government's frustration as a key legislative proposal failed to clear the House.

Priyanka Gandhi Calls It 'Win for Democracy'

Reacting to the development, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the issue went beyond women's reservation.

She stated, "This was not about women's reservation but democracy. We can never agree to linking delimitation with women's reservation. It was not possible that this bill would pass. This is a big win for democracy in our country."

She also criticised the government, adding, "Those who did not take action in Hathras, Unnao and Manipur are talking about an anti-women mindset?"

Rahul Gandhi Terms It 'Attack on Constitution'

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also opposed the bill strongly.

"We have defeated this attack on the Constitution. This is not a women's reservation bill, but a way to change India's political structure," he said.

Congress Leaders Target BJP

Congress MP Imran Masood criticised the government, saying the failure showed lack of intent.

"BJP's event management has failed. They never wanted to give reservation," he said.

Akhilesh Yadav On Women Reservation:

SP MP Akhilesh Yadav says, " We have stated our stance clearly. We are in favour of women's reservation. Smaajwadi Party and Opposition did not oppose women's reservation"

What the Bill Proposed

The bill aimed to introduce women's reservation in Parliament while linking it with delimitation of constituencies without waiting for new Census data. This linkage became the main point of disagreement between the government and the opposition.

Political Impact

The defeat of the bill marks a major political moment. While the government projected it as a move toward women's empowerment, the opposition argued it could reshape India's political structure.

With sharp divisions still in place, the future of women's reservation and delimitation remains uncertain and will likely continue to dominate political discussions.