April 18, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharply criticized opposition parties after Parliament failed to secure the two‑thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment that would have reserved one‑third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. In a nationwide address he accused the main opposition Congress of ‘bhroom hatya’ (female feticide) and said he had ‘sought forgiveness’ from India’s women. He blamed what he described as selfish opposition politics for stalling the measure and said the country’s women would give a ‘befitting reply’ to Congress and its allies.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 linked a 33% reservation for women to a nationwide delimitation — a redrawing of constituencies — and a planned expansion of the Lok Sabha. Of 528 members present and voting, 298 supported the bill and 230 opposed it; because a constitutional change requires a two‑thirds majority, the amendment fell short. Had it passed, the lower house would have grown by roughly 55% to about 850 seats, with the government arguing delimitation was needed to reflect population changes since seats were last frozen after the 1971 census.
Opposition leaders said they back women’s reservation in principle but rejected tying implementation to delimitation, accusing the government of using the quota to seek political advantage. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated on X that his party ‘has always supported women’s reservation’ and pointed to the party’s record on pro‑women laws. Priyanka Gandhi urged immediate implementation of the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act, calling for the earlier unanimous bill to be reinstated or minimally amended so the quota can be put into effect now: ‘Give women their rights, right now,’ she said, calling the failed vote a ‘black day’ for the government.
Regional MP Mahua Moitra said the core women’s reservation law was already legally active and accused the government of theatrics and scripted media coverage: ‘Women’s reservation already passed in 2023 and was notified two days ago. Nothing stops you from implementing it now and giving one‑third of 543 seats to women,’ she said. Jairam Ramesh demanded an apology from Modi for what he called ‘shameless, deceitful attempts to push through a devious delimitation proposal in the name of women’ and described the government’s motive as ‘poisonous.’
The BJP responded by organizing protests and labeling the opposition’s move ‘anti‑women.’ Party activists burned an effigy of Rahul Gandhi during a march to his residence, and police used water cannons to disperse demonstrators. Senior BJP figures including Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and leaders such as Hema Malini, Bansuri Swaraj and Manoj Tiwari joined the demonstrations and accused the opposition of betraying women.
The vote is the first failure of a constitutional amendment bill for Modi’s government since it took office in 2014. Several southern states warned that a population‑based delimitation would shift political weight toward northern states where population growth has been higher; the government sought to reassure states that the proportional representation of southern states would remain largely unchanged.
Modi had called a special sitting of Parliament and was scheduled to address the nation in the evening after the vote. He told his cabinet that the opposition had made a mistake and urged party workers to take the message of betrayal to women across the country.
Other developments on April 18, 2026:
– India summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi after a shooting incident in the Strait of Hormuz involving two Indian‑flagged ships. The foreign ministry expressed deep concern, urged protection of merchant shipping and asked Iran to facilitate safe passage for India‑bound vessels.
– The government approved a 129.8‑billion‑rupee maritime insurance pool to cover Indian‑flagged and Indian‑related vessels amid geopolitical tensions and insurer withdrawals. The pool is planned for 10 years with a possible five‑year extension and will cover machinery, cargo and war risks.
– Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council secretary Rustem Umerov met in India with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to discuss bilateral ties and a peace roadmap for the war in Ukraine. India reiterated its principled focus on a negotiated settlement and said it will maintain neutral relations with both Kyiv and Moscow.
– In sport, Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov earned the right to challenge India’s Dommaraju Gukesh for the 2026 World Chess Championship, underlining Asia’s growing prominence at the highest levels of the game.