Big blow on women's quota bill: Can NDA bounce back?

Following the defeat of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, NDA leaders met to discuss the future strategy and implications for women's representation in Indian politics.

IMAGE: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju speaks in Lok Sabha during the Special Session (2026-27) of Parliament, in New Delhi, April 17, 2026. Photograph: Sansad TV/ANI Photo

Key Points

NDA floor leaders convened after the Women's Reservation Bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha.
The Constitution Amendment Bill aimed to reserve seats for women in legislatures by 2029.
The bill also proposed increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to accommodate the women's reservation.
The bill was defeated in the Lower House despite a majority voting in support, as it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.

National Democratic Alliance floor leaders held a meeting after the Constitution Amendment Bill seeking to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha were defeated on Friday in the Lower House.

Union Ministers JP Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan and Arjun Ram Meghwal were among the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leaders who participated in the meeting held at Parliament House complex.

Among the ruling NDA allies who attended the meeting were Union ministers Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu (Telugu Desam Party), Jayant Chaudhary (RLP), Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh (Janata Dal-United) and Chirag Paswan (Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas), sources said.

"It was a general coordination meeting," a source told PTI.

The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha was defeated on Friday in the Lower House.

While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it.

Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.

According to the Constitution Amendment Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

Seats were also to be increased in states and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.

The failure of the bill highlights the challenges in achieving consensus on key reforms. Similar bills have faced setbacks in the past due to lack of political agreement. The next steps could involve renewed efforts to build consensus or the introduction of a revised bill in the future.