NDA leaders plan nationwide campaign after Constitution Amendment Bill 2026 fails in Lok Sabha, accusing Opposition of blocking women’s reservation linked to delimitation, escalating political tensions ahead of 2029 elections and reviving debate on electoral reforms and empowerment.
A tense political development unfolded in Parliament after a key constitutional amendment failed to secure the required majority, triggering a renewed confrontation between the ruling alliance and the Opposition over women’s representation and electoral reforms.
Floor leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convened a high-level meeting in Parliament on Friday following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. According to sources, the alliance has decided to launch a nationwide campaign accusing Opposition parties of obstructing efforts aimed at advancing women’s empowerment.
The Bill, which required a two-thirds majority, fell short despite receiving 298 votes in favour and 230 against out of 528 members present and voting. The shortfall of approximately 54 votes marked a significant legislative setback for the government’s broader reform agenda.
During the meeting, NDA leaders agreed to take the issue directly to the public through coordinated protests, press briefings, and digital outreach campaigns. The strategy aims to frame the Opposition’s stance as resistance to women’s reservation, particularly in the context of linking it with the delimitation process.
The legislative package introduced during the special three-day session of Parliament included three interconnected proposals: the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the Delimitation Bill, 2026. Together, these measures sought to expand the strength of the Lok Sabha, enable delimitation based on the 2011 Census, and implement reservation for women accordingly.
The Union Territories Laws Bill was designed to extend similar provisions to regions such as Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Opposition strongly objected to the government’s approach of linking the implementation of women’s reservation with the delimitation exercise, arguing that such a condition could delay its actual enforcement.
Following the voting outcome, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla not to proceed with voting on the remaining two bills, citing their intrinsic connection to the defeated amendment.
In a parallel move, the government acted swiftly to notify the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, late on Thursday through the Union Law Ministry. The Act, which provides for 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, had been passed in September 2023 but was pending operationalisation due to its linkage with delimitation.
The latest legislative attempt was intended to amend existing provisions and fast-track the implementation of women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 general elections. However, with the amendment bill failing to pass, uncertainty now looms over the timeline for executing these reforms.
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The delay in conducting the next Census, originally scheduled for 2021 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has further complicated the delimitation process, which is a prerequisite for the proposed reservation framework.
As political tensions escalate, the issue is expected to dominate national discourse in the coming weeks, with both the ruling alliance and Opposition preparing to shape public opinion ahead of future electoral battles.
