Overview
- Parliament’s Constitution 131st Amendment, which tied a one‑third women’s quota to a census‑based redraw and a larger Lok Sabha, failed Friday with 298 votes for and 230 against, far short of the 352 required.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a national address on Saturday to call the defeat “foeticide,” vowed to pursue the quota by 2029, and told ministers to take an “anti‑women” message against the Opposition to voters.
- Opposition leaders said they support 33% reservation but opposed linking it to redrawing seats, urged the government to implement the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan law now, and accused Modi of turning an official speech into partisan attack during state polls.
- The government’s package sought to lift the delimitation freeze, use 2011 Census data to reallocate seats by population, and expand the Lok Sabha to roughly 816–850 so the women’s quota could start before 2029.
- Regional leaders warned that population‑based seat allotment could shrink the relative voice of southern, north‑eastern and smaller states, making the redistribution fight a live election issue in places like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.