The Congress challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately implement the women’s reservation law, after he dubbed the opposition party a hindrance to women’s rights. The charge came after the government failed to secure its position in Parliament, framing delimitation as a women’s rights measure.
Accusing the government of failing to implement the law for three years, the party demanded that the 33% quota be applied to the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats. It opposed delaying implementation until a delimitation exercise, noting that the women’s reservation law had already been passed in 2023.
The party has urged implementation in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, and called for the inclusion of backward-class women within the 33% quota. It framed the issue as a test of the government’s commitment to women’s empowerment.
The Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, 2026, failed to pass in the Lok Sabha, receiving 298 votes in favour and 230 against, as a two-thirds majority is required to pass a constitutional amendment in Parliament. Since then, the party and the government have been at loggerheads, engaging in verbal exchanges and accusing each other of derailing the process.
However, credit must be given to the Congress for mobilising the opposition to vote against the constitutional amendment bill, which lacked representation of the southern and northeastern states.