The central government faced a significant legislative defeat on Friday, April 17, 2026, as the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha. The bill, which aimed to implement women’s reservations and facilitate the delimitation of constituencies, was defeated during the voting process because it could not secure the mandatory two-thirds majority. Speaker Om Birla officially announced the bill’s failure after the results showed the government fell short of the required support.
Out of the 528 members present and voting, 298 members voted in favor of the bill, while 230 members voted against it. To pass a constitutional amendment, the government needed the support of at least two-thirds of the members present, which amounted to 352 votes in this instance. Lacking the necessary 54 votes to reach that “magic figure,” the ambitious legislative move was halted despite the government’s efforts to mobilize support.
In the immediate aftermath of the bill’s defeat, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the House that the government would be withdrawing the associated ‘Delimitation Bill, 2026’ and the ‘Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.’ Following these unexpected developments, the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha session until Saturday morning. This outcome marks a major turning point in the current parliamentary session, leaving the future of the women’s reservation and delimitation processes uncertain.
