The Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to secure parliamentary approval for the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill, which sought to expand Lok Sabha seats and introduce women's reservation. The bill received 298 votes in favor and 230 against, falling short of the required two-thirds majority. The vote took place on Friday during a special parliamentary session that began on Thursday. Following the bill’s failure, the government did not proceed with two other planned bills on delimitation and union territory law amendments.

Opposition parties under the INDIA alliance opposed the bill, arguing that the government was using women’s reservation as a pretext to increase parliamentary seats and consolidate power. They claimed the move aimed to favor northern states where the ruling party holds greater influence, potentially reducing southern states’ representation. Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah assured that southern states would not be disadvantaged and urged lawmakers to view the bill as a matter of national interest.

The defeat marks a setback for the government’s legislative agenda, particularly after the 2023 passage of the Women’s Reservation Act, which had tied seat reallocation to the next census.