The government failed to pass a bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in parliament, after being accused of using it as a cover to advance electoral redrawing.
It is the first defeat in 12 years for a constitutional amendment proposed by Narendra Modi’s BJP-led government.
The bill linked a one-third women’s quota with a controversial delimitation exercise based on the 2011 census, which critics said could expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to around 850 seats while reshaping constituencies along population lines.
As a constitutional amendment, it needed a two-thirds majority but fell short with 298 votes in favour and 230 against.
Opposition parties united in resistance, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra calling it an “attack on democracy” and Gaurav Gogoi alleging the government was pushing delimitation indirectly. Delimitation itself remains highly contentious, with southern states fearing reduced representation and northern states likely to gain influence if boundaries are redrawn.
Since the last nationwide redrawing in 1971, southern states have demanded the freeze continue. Protests included DMK MPs wearing black in parliament, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called the bill a “punishment” for the south.
Opposition leaders also criticised linking women’s reservation to delimitation. Rahul Gandhi said it was not about women’s empowerment but electoral restructuring, while Shashi Tharoor warned it risked holding women’s representation “hostage” to a controversial political process.
Although a bill reserving one-third of parliamentary seats for women was passed in 2023, its implementation has been delayed until at least 2029. The BJP argued the new proposal would accelerate its rollout.
During his address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed disappointment over the bill’s failure, calling it a setback but reaffirming his commitment to increasing women’s representation in politics.
