New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The floor leaders of the Opposition will meet at Congress National President and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in the Parliament Complex at 10 A.M. on Saturday.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will not attend the meeting as he will be travelling to Tamil Nadu for the election campaign.
This comes a day after the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha.
The Bill, which aimed to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority, triggering a sharp political confrontation between the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc.
The proposed legislation, which also sought to expand the strength of the House, could not secure the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority despite a day-long debate. The Bill received 278 votes in favour and 211 against, falling short of the required threshold for passage.
The outcome has triggered a sharp political confrontation, with the NDA accusing the INDIA bloc of deliberately blocking a historic reform aimed at increasing women’s representation in legislative bodies.
The Opposition on its part is objecting to the women’s reservation Bill being tethered to the expansion of Parliament based on the 2011 Census and the exercise of delimitation.
Earlier on Friday, the floor leaders of the ruling NDA met for a crucial meeting in Parliament following the defeat of the Bill.
It was decided in the meeting that the constituents will raise the issue of the Opposition’s resistance to women’s empowerment, said sources.
The message will be delivered to people across the country through protests, press conferences, and social media to make people aware of the development.
Meanwhile, the NDA is set to launch a nationwide protest campaign on Saturday against the INDIA bloc over the issue.
Party leaders said protests will be organised at district headquarters across the country, led by the BJP’s women’s wing, the BJP Mahila Morcha.
The campaign is intended to highlight what the NDA describes as an “anti-women agenda” of the Opposition, while mobilising public opinion around the issue. The BJP is also expected to raise the matter prominently in the upcoming elections, particularly in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
–IANS
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