New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The proceedings in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were adjourned sine die soon after the session began on Saturday, marking an end to the Parliament’s Special Session.
A day earlier, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, was defeated 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.
Subsequently, the Centre decided not to move forward with two related Bills on delimitation, saying that the three Bills could be viewed in isolation.
Meanwhile, the floor leaders of the Opposition met at Congress National President and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in the Parliament Complex.
The defeat of the Bill 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.
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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