New Delhi, April 17 (Udaipur Kiran): The proposed constitutional amendment for women’s reservation failed to pass in the Lok Sabha after falling short of the required two-thirds majority during voting held on Friday evening.

The 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, with a total of 528 Members of Parliament participating in the voting. However, the bill required at least 352 votes to secure passage, as mandated for constitutional amendments.

The failure of the bill effectively halts the proposed implementation of 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, which was planned to take effect from the 2029 general elections.

Despite the ruling side having support from 293 MPs, the bill managed to secure only five additional votes, falling significantly short of the required numbers. Opposition parties united to prevent the bill from reaching the two-thirds threshold.

Alongside this, two related legislations — the Delimitation Bill 2026 and the Union-State Law Amendment Bill 2026 — were also not taken forward following the bill’s failure.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that after the constitutional amendment bill did not pass, the government would not proceed with the associated bills.

Reacting to the development, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the proposal was not a genuine women’s reservation bill but an attempt to alter the electoral framework. He added that if the government intends to implement women’s reservation, it should enforce the legislation passed in 2023, assuring support from his party.

The outcome marks a significant setback to the proposed reform, bringing the process of women’s reservation in legislatures to a halt for now.