Defeat of 131st Amendment Bill shakes Parliament, women’s quota stalled
Defeat of 131st Amendment Bill shakes Parliament, women’s quota stalled
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed to clear the two-thirds hurdle, with 298 in favor and 230 against. Opposition denounced linking women’s reservation to delimitation.
In a dramatic parliamentary vote, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 failed to reach the required two-thirds majority, with 298 MPs voting in favor and 230 against. The Opposition united against linking women’s reservation to delimitation, calling the move flawed and misleading.
The two-thirds threshold is essential for constitutional amendments, and today’s result marks a setback for the government’s reform agenda while keeping the debate on gender representation alive in the legislature.
Supporters argued the bill would strengthen women’s representation in lawmaking, while opponents warned that attaching it to a delimitation exercise could distort the objective and political optics.
The defeat leaves room for revisions and possible reintroduction in a future session, as lawmakers assess how best to advance inclusion without compromising procedural safeguards.
Editorial comments accompanying coverage described the delimitation approach as ramrod and likely to fail, underscoring the broader tensions between reform zeal and parliamentary consensus.
#Constitution131Amendment #WomenReservation #DelimitationDebate
