The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women from the 2029 general elections was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday with opposition parties voting in opposition.
A Constitution Amendment Bill is passed only if it receives the support of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting.
In the voting held after the debate on the three bills, 298 members supported the bill while 230 members voted against it.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla declared the results of the division. He said, “The Constitution (131st Amendment) Amendment Bill could not be passed in the House due to lack of 2/3 majority during voting.”
Discussion on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Delimitation Bill, 2026 resumed in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
After the Constitution Amendment Bill was not passed by the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government has no intention of taking forward the other two bills.
Motions to introduce Constitutional Amendment Bills are passed by a simple majority, but to adopt the effective provisions of these Bills and to deliberate and pass the motions, a majority of the total membership of the House and a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting are required.
Motions to introduce Constitutional Amendment Bills are passed by a simple majority, but to adopt the effective provisions of these Bills and to deliberate and pass the motions, a majority of the total membership of the House and a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting are required.
Constitution Amendment Bills affecting the important issues listed in the proviso to Article 368(2) of the Constitution, after being passed by the Houses of Parliament, are also required to be approved by at least half of the State Legislatures.
Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah responded to the long debate on the three bills.
He strongly criticized the stand of the opposition parties on the bills implementing women’s reservation from the 2029 general elections and said that when they contest the next elections, they will have to face the wrath of women.
Opposition parties strongly opposed the Delimitation Bill and said the government should immediately implement reservation for women in the existing strength of the Lok Sabha. He expressed full support of reservation for women.
In his speech during the debate, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi strongly criticized the government over the delimitation bill, saying it “has nothing to do with women’s empowerment” and is an “attempt to change the electoral map of India”. About 130 members participated in the debate.
