Opposition Urges Implementation of Women's Reservation Bill Amid Legislative Setbacks
The opposition is mobilizing to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement the Women's Reservation Bill, following a recent legislative setback. With plans for nationwide press conferences, leaders are expressing their support for women's representation in politics. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi has called for the reintroduction of the bill after its failure to pass in the Lok Sabha. The NDA government's inability to secure a two-thirds majority has raised concerns about future legislative efforts. This article delves into the implications of these developments and the opposition's strategies moving forward.
| Apr 18, 2026, 12:58 IST
Opposition's Call for Women's Reservation Bill
The opposition is preparing to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the implementation of the original Women's Reservation Bill. Sources have confirmed this development. According to insiders, parties within the India Bloc will hold press conferences nationwide on Saturday to express their support for women's reservation. They will also accuse the government of fabricating excuses to alter the political landscape of the country. During a recent meeting, leaders congratulated one another, with Sonia Gandhi expressing gratitude towards her colleagues.
Priyanka Gandhi's Appeal to Reintroduce the Bill
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi spoke to the media on the last day of the special parliamentary session, calling on the central government to reintroduce the original Women's Reservation Bill. This appeal follows the failure to pass the Constitution (One Hundred Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, during the special session in the Lok Sabha. The One Hundred Sixth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023, known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, which provides for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was passed by Parliament in 2023.
Legislative Challenges Faced by the NDA Government
However, the NDA government, led by the BJP, failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority to pass the constitutional amendment bill related to implementing women's reservation through delimitation in the Lok Sabha on Friday. After a lengthy debate, the voting resulted in 298 members in favor and 230 against, leading to the bill's defeat. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed that the bill did not pass due to its failure to achieve constitutional majority.
Future Implications of the Bill's Failure
The objective of this bill was to implement the women's reservation law by increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from the current 543 to 816 ahead of the 2029 general elections. This marked the first legislative failure for the Modi government since 2014. Following the failure of the 2023 constitutional amendment bill, the government stated that it has no intention of advancing two other related bills: the delimitation bill and the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill.