April 18, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at opposition parties after Parliament failed to pass legislation that would have reserved one-third of seats in the lower house and state assemblies for women. In a nationwide address, Modi accused the main opposition Congress party of “bhroom hatya” (female feticide) and said he “sought forgiveness” from the country’s women. “Every citizen of India is watching how dreams of our women have been crushed,” he said, blaming what he called the selfish politics of opposition parties for stalling the measure and predicting that “the women of our country will give a befitting reply to Congress and its allies.”
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 — which linked a 33% reservation for women to a mass redrawing of electoral constituencies (delimitation) and a planned expansion of the Lok Sabha — fell short of the two-thirds majority required to change the constitution. Of 528 members present and voting, 298 supported the bill and 230 opposed it. Had it passed, the lower house would have expanded by around 55% to roughly 850 seats; the government argued delimitation was needed to reflect population changes since seats were last fixed after the 1971 census.
Opposition leaders insisted they back women’s reservation but rejected tying implementation to delimitation, accusing the government of using the quota as a vehicle for political advantage. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated on X that his party “has always supported women’s reservation,” noting Congress backing in prior occasions and citing its record on pro-women laws. He urged the government to implement the 33% quota without linking it to constituency changes.
Priyanka Gandhi urged immediate implementation of the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act, calling for the return of the bill passed unanimously in 2023 or small amendments so it can be put into effect now. “Give women their rights, right now,” she told a press conference, describing the failed vote as a “black day” for the government and rejecting the delimitation linkage.
Regional MP Mahua Moitra said the core women’s reservation law was already legally active and accused the government of theatricality and pro-government media scripting. “Women’s reservation already passed in 2023 & notified 2 days ago. NOTHING stops you from implementing it now & giving 1/3 of 543 seats to women…” Jairam Ramesh called for Modi to apologize for what he described as “shameless, deceitful attempts to push through a devious delimitation proposal in the name of women,” calling the government’s motive “poisonous.”
The BJP organized protests after the setback, labeling the opposition’s move “anti-women.” Party activists burned an effigy of Rahul Gandhi during a march to his residence; police used water cannons to disperse demonstrators. BJP leaders including Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and figures such as Hema Malini, Bansuri Swaraj and Manoj Tiwari joined protests, with senior party members accusing the opposition of betraying women.
The vote marks the first failure of a constitutional amendment bill for Modi’s government since it came to power in 2014. Southern states expressed concern 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 proportional representation of southern states would remain nearly unchanged.
Modi had called a special sitting of Parliament and was scheduled to address the nation at 8.30 pm (5 pm CET) following the vote. Earlier reports said he told his cabinet the opposition had made a mistake and would face consequences, urging that the message of betrayal to women be taken 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 conveyed deep concern, urged protection of merchant shipping and requested Iran facilitate the safe passage of India-bound vessels.
– The government approved a 129.8-billion-rupee maritime insurance pool to ensure cover for Indian-flagged and Indian-related vessels amid geopolitical tensions and insurer withdrawals. The pool, planned for 10 years with a possible five-year extension, will cover machinery, cargo and war risks.
– Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov held talks in India with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on bilateral ties and a peace roadmap for the war in Ukraine. India reiterated its principled focus on a negotiated settlement and has maintained neutral relations with both Kyiv and Moscow.
– In sports, Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov earned the right to challenge India’s Dommaraju Gukesh for the 2026 World Chess Championship, underscoring Asia’s rising prominence in top-level chess.