PM Modi to address nation today after women’s quota bill defeat in Lok Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8:30 PM on Saturday, a day after a key bill aimed at implementing women’s reservation in legislatures failed to pass in the Lok Sabha.

The Prime Minister’s address is expected to focus on the issue of women’s representation in politics and the developments in Parliament that led to the bill’s defeat.

The legislation, known as the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, was seen as a major step towards operationalising the long-pending plan to reserve 33 per cent of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

The proposed law included a significant increase in the number of seats in the Lok Sabha, from the current 543 to 816, to accommodate the reservation without reducing existing constituencies.

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The expansion was to be carried out through a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census and was intended to be implemented before the 2029 general elections. Similar adjustments were also planned for state and Union Territory assemblies.

However, the bill required a two-thirds majority to pass, which the ruling BJP-led alliance could not secure.

During voting in the Lok Sabha on Friday night, 298 members supported the bill, while 230 voted against it. Out of the 528 members who participated in the voting, the bill needed at least 352 votes to be approved.

The defeat marks a significant setback for the government, which had been pushing for the implementation of women’s reservation as a major political reform. Opposition parties, however, voted against the bill, raising concerns over its structure and the proposed increase in seats.

The Prime Minister’s address is now expected to outline the government’s next steps and respond to the political developments surrounding the bill.

His remarks will be closely watched, as they may indicate whether the government plans to reintroduce the legislation in a revised form or explore alternative ways to ensure greater representation for women in Indian politics.

The issue of women’s reservation has been debated for decades, and Friday’s developments have once again brought it to the centre of national political discourse.