Modi mentions Congress 59 times, women barely: Kharge slams PM after bill fails Lok Sabha

Kharge presented three demands to Modi: (1) implement 33% reservation for women in the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats under the 2023 law; (2) stop mixing up delimitation bills with the Women’s Reservation Bill, noting this was a delimitation bill, not the Women’s Reservation Bill; (3) apologise to 140 crore Indians.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Modi of mudslinging and attacking his opponents in his national address, alleging misuse of official machinery ahead of Assembly elections. He described Modi’s address as a travesty of democracy and the Constitution and criticized the focus on attacking Congress rather than addressing issues.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation for about 30 minutes after the bill’s defeat. He accused the Opposition of blocking women’s reform for political reasons, said he was 'very sad' that some Opposition leaders celebrated the bill’s failure, and described it as an insult to women’s dignity. He claimed the Opposition was 'taking women for granted' and referred to actions he described as 'foeticide'.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 failed to pass in Lok Sabha, falling short of the two-thirds majority. It received 298 votes in favor and 230 against. The bill proposed expanding the House from 543 to 850 seats to enable 33% reservation for women by the 2029 elections. It was linked to the rollout of the Women’s Reservation Act (2023) and required delimitation and census-linked processes before implementation.

The Women’s Reservation Act was passed in 2023 and continues to remain in force.

The Congress-led government ensured the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2010.