New Delhi: The Women’s Reservation Bill failed to clear a crucial hurdle in the Lok Sabha after the Centre could not secure the required two-thirds majority for its passage. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the necessary numbers.

Following the setback, two related bills, including those on delimitation and increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats, were not put to vote. The government stated that these proposals were closely linked to the women’s reservation legislation.

During the debate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged members to support the bill, emphasizing it as a matter of national interest and assuring that no injustice would be done to southern states. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reiterated that representation of southern states would be safeguarded even with an increase in parliamentary seats.

The Opposition, however, strongly criticised the move, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleging that the bill was being used to reshape the electoral map rather than empower women. He also raised concerns over the lack of focus on caste census and representation for OBC communities.