New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) The Opposition may be celebrating perceived success in keeping the Union government from passing three key Constitution Amendment Bills in the Lok Sabha on Friday after two days of intense debate, but it lost the narrative.
Its claim to champion social justice, caste enumeration, and reservation policies will need a rethink and retune, rendering it a political blow even in the midst of a “victory”. By framing the Opposition as anti-women and anti-OBC, the government effectively shifted the narrative, portraying critics as obstructive elites.
With 528 members present and voting, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 received 298 votes in favour and 230 against, where the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fell short by about 54 mandates.
Also introduced on Thursday in the Lok Sabha were the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026. These Bills proposed increasing the size of the House of the People, enabling delimitation based on the 2011 Census, and enabling reservation for women based on this delimitation.
The Jammu & Kashmir, Puducherry, and Delhi Laws Bill was to give effect to similar provisions in those Union Territories. The Opposition opposed linking delimitation with the implementation of women’s reservation.
In his statement during the debate, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi announced that under no condition would the bloc support the Bills. Following the result, Parliamentary Minister Kiren Rijiju requested Speaker Om Birla not to put the other two Bills to a vote, as the three Bills were intrinsically interrelated.
On Thursday, PM Modi urged the House to support the Bill aimed at women’s empowerment, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah repeatedly underscored, citing numbers, that southern states need not worry about losing representation compared to their current strengths. However, the Opposition remained unmoved.
Even as the display reflected the numbers, Rijiju reiterated the Modi government’s pledge to work for women’s empowerment. “It’s regrettable that you lost a chance to empower women with this historic Bill,” he told the Opposition benches, who were cheering the final mandate.
Meanwhile, citing specific instances from the Congress rule to substantiate his claim, the Home Minister criticised Gandhi’s party for consistently opposing caste-based census and reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) throughout its decades in power. He dismantled the “false narrative” that the Bills harm southern states, presenting data showing that they would gain seats post-delimitation.
He accused the Opposition of “opposing everything”, from women’s quota to fair representation, and clarified procedural rules barred content debates at introduction. PM Modi also asked critics to support the “landmark” reforms, framing the Bills as fulfilling long-delayed women’s empowerment without constitutional overreach.
Treasury benches emphasised equity rather than punishment for the South’s family planning success. Shah also countered the Congress on its claim that it is the only party empowering women, citing examples of the BJP being behind the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi, among others, including a Tribal woman as President of India.
With crucial state elections coming up, including those in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal later this month, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and others, the Opposition would be looking for a defence once the reality catches up.
Regarding its demand for caste enumeration, the Home Minister clarified that the Census of India, currently underway, includes it as well. The last Census was held in 2011, with the next scheduled for 2021, but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act, providing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, was notified on Thursday by the Union Law Ministry.
--IANS
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