Summary of this article
The Constitution 131st Amendment Bill 2026 aimed at increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 to enable early rollout of 33 percent womens reservation was defeated in the Lok Sabha.
After a 21 hour debate 528 MPs voted with 298 in favour and 230 against the Bill needed 352 votes two thirds majority but fell short by 54 votes.
The 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Womens Reservation Act was passed unanimously but the fresh amendment to fast track its implementation has failed keeping the quota linked to future census and delimitation.
In a dramatic turn of events that has delayed hopes for faster womens representation in Parliament the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill 2026 was defeated in the Lok Sabha today after failing to muster the mandatory two thirds majority.
The Bill which proposed expanding the Lok Sabha from the current 543 seats to 850 was designed to pave the way for early implementation of the 33 percent reservation for women in legislatures. This reservation was originally enshrined in the landmark Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam the Constitution 106th Amendment Act 2023 which was passed unanimously by both Houses of Parliament.
While the 2023 Womens Reservation Act received overwhelming support and presidential assent its rollout was tied to the completion of the next census and the subsequent delimitation exercise potentially pushing actual reservation into the mid 2030s. The 131st Amendment Bill sought to overcome this delay by increasing the total number of seats thereby allowing the creation of women reserved constituencies without disturbing the existing representation of any state or reducing general category seats.
The government had argued that this expansion would enable the womens quota to become effective as early as the 2029 general elections truly fulfilling the promise of Nari Shakti and giving millions of Indian women a stronger voice in law making.
After an intense 21 hour debate marked by passionate speeches and sharp exchanges across party lines the House moved to voting. A total of 528 MPs participated in the division with 298 voting in favour and 230 voting against. A constitutional amendment requires two thirds of the members present and voting which amounts to 352 votes. The Bill secured only 298 votes falling short by 54 votes and was accordingly declared defeated.
Earlier in the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an earnest appeal to all Members of Parliament urging them to rise above partisan considerations and support the Bill as a national duty towards empowering the women of India.
Despite this cross party differences over the proposed scale of seat expansion concerns about federal balance and the linkage with delimitation led to the Bills failure.
With the defeat of the 131st Amendment Bill the original 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam remains in force but its implementation continues to depend on the future census and full delimitation process.
The government has not yet indicated its next course of action whether it will introduce a revised version following wider consultations or proceed according to the original timeline. This outcome once again brings into focus the delicate balance between advancing womens empowerment and addressing complex issues of delimitation and federal representation in Indias democracy.
