In a major set-back India’s BJP-led government’s efforts to get the Delimitation Bill linked to the women’s seats reservation bill (three-bills) were defeated in the Lok Sabha with 298 supported the bills, while 230 members voted against it. The bills fell because they could not muster 2/3rd majority, as required under the law. Speaker Om Birla announced the results of the division. “The Constitution (131st Amendment) Amendment Bill did not pass as it did not achieve a 2/3 majority during voting in the House,” he said.
The special sitting of Parliament was held amid campaign for assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Elections have been held in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry and the results are likely to be announced on May 4.
ANI adds from New Delhi- April 18, 2026 : n his speech during the debate, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the government over the Delimitation Bill and said it has “nothing to do with the empowerment of women” and is an “attempt to change the electoral map of India”.
Opposition parties strongly objected to the Delimitation Bill and said the government should implement women’s reservation immediately in the existing strength of the Lok Sabha. They expressed their full support for women’s reservation. The government had convened a three-day special sitting of the budget session to get the three bills passed.
Home Minister Amit Shah replied to the marathon debate on three bills, slamming the opposition parties over their stance on the bills aimed at implementing women’s reservation from the 2029 general elections.
Nearly 130 members took part in the two-day debate on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
After Lok Sabha did not pass the Constitution Amendment Bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government had no intention to pursue the two other bills as the three were interlinked.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the vote was not about women’s reservation but democracy. She also slammed the BJP.
“We can never agree to linking delimitation with women’s reservation. It was not possible that this bill would pass. This is a big win for democracy in our country. Those who did not take any action in Hathras, Unnao and Manipur are talking about an anti-women mindset?” Priyanka Gandhi told reporters.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said that women’s reservation bill was passed in 2023 and if the government had not linked it to delimitation and census, the implementation would have advanced significantly.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said it is a convincing victory for opposition and opposition members voted to save democracy.
“It has been a very convincing victory. The BJP fell 52 votes short of the two-thirds they needed to pass the constitutional amendment… We are feeling a certain sense of triumph. this is not a vote against women’s reservation, but against delimitation and the mischief that delimitation and the dramatic expansion of Parliament would do to our democracy, so we voted to save our democracy,” he told ANI.
“We have said even in our speeches, that we will vote for women’s reservation if you will delink it from delimitation. It is against their refusal to delink this that we have voted,” he added.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said they are not against reservation for women but had concerns about the way government intended to carry out the delimitation process.
” We have stated our stance clearly. We are in favour of women’s reservation. Samajwadi Party and Opposition did not oppose women’s reservation,” he said.
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress opposes everything that the Modi government proposes.
A Constitution Amendment Bill needs a majority of the total membership of the House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting for its passing.
