The Narendra Modi government's proposed amendment to the 2023 women's reservation law has been defeated in the Lok Sabha, marking the first defeat of a government bill since the BJP-led NDA came to power in 2014.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026 received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling 54 votes short of the two-thirds majority required to pass.
The government has withdrawn the two other bills introduced alongside it, including the Delimitation Bill 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026.
The original 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam remains on the books, but it cannot be implemented without a fresh delimitation exercise.
The government will now have to return to Parliament with new options, such as reserving one-third seats of the current strength of 543, at least for now.
