PM Modi Targets DMK, TMC, SP; Says Every State Would Have Gained Seats If Bill Passed

Linking the Women's Reservation Bill directly to wider political representation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said every state would have gained additional seats in Parliament if the legislation had been passed, as he sharpened his attack on the DMK, TMC and Samajwadi Party.

"If this bill had been passed, the number of seats in every state would have increased," Modi said, arguing that the proposed amendment was designed not only to reserve 33 per cent seats for women but also to expand representation across the country. Targeting the opposition, he alleged that leaders of these parties had "duped their own people" by opposing the legislation, and claimed the Samajwadi Party had "ruined Lohia's dreams" by moving away from the principles it once claimed to uphold.

The Prime Minister also accused dynastic parties of resisting the measure because they fear that stronger participation of women in politics could become an existential challenge to their leadership structures. He said such parties are unwilling to let women rise into genuine leadership positions, suggesting that real political empowerment of women could unsettle entrenched family-led control within opposition outfits.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to operationalise women's reservation before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday night after the ruling alliance failed to secure the required two-thirds majority. The bill received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the 352 needed out of the 528 members who voted. Along with 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, the proposal included raising Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 and increasing seats in state and Union Territory assemblies.