Rahul Gandhi Credits INDIA Bloc Unity for Defeat of Women’s Quota–Delimitation Bill

New Delhi, April 206 : Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday credited the unity of the INDIA bloc for the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, asserting that the Opposition had successfully resisted what he termed an “unconstitutional move.”

Reacting after the Bill failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi took to social media platform X, stating, “The Amendment Bill has fallen. They used an unconstitutional trick in the name of women to break the Constitution. India has seen it. INDIA has stopped it. Hail the Constitution.”

The Bill, which proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures and an expansion of Lok Sabha seats, secured 298 votes in favour and 230 against but fell short of the threshold needed for passage.

The debate around the Bill saw intense exchanges in the House, with Rahul Gandhi’s remarks—particularly a controversial “magician” analogy seen as directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi—triggering uproar among Treasury bench members. The ruling side condemned the comment as inappropriate, leading to heated protests and demands for an apology.

During his speech, Rahul Gandhi also criticised the government’s approach, alleging a “central confusion” within the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership. He argued that the ruling party equates itself with the nation and its armed forces, urging it to “stop hiding behind the armed forces.”

Opposing the proposed delimitation exercise, Gandhi invoked the legacy of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, noting that both had refrained from undertaking delimitation during their tenures due to its potential risks and implications.

The Bill had proposed increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats as part of a long-delayed delimitation process based on population changes. It also aimed to implement women’s reservation in Parliament and state Assemblies, a reform that would come into effect after the delimitation exercise.

While the government, led by Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, argued that the reform was necessary to correct disparities in representation, Opposition parties maintained that it could alter the federal balance and disproportionately benefit certain regions.

The Bill’s defeat marks a significant political moment, highlighting sharp divisions over electoral reforms and the path to women’s empowerment, while also underscoring the growing coordination within the Opposition alliance.