Parliament special sitting highlights: Constitution Amendment Bill to expand Lok Sabha to 850 seats defeated

The Congress connected Friday said the “nefarious attempt” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to nexus their “dangerous delimitation proposals” to women’s preservation has been decisively defeated successful the Lok Sabha, and asserted that it was a triumph for ideology and the Constitution. 

The Opposition enactment said the decision besides calls into question the legitimacy of “the non-biological, non-grihasthi PM.” 

In a station connected X, Congress wide caput in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The nefarious and mischievous effort of the PM and HM to nexus their unsafe delimitation proposals to women’s preservation (that had already been settled) has been decisively defeated successful the Lok Sabha.” “This is simply a triumph for our democracy, our federalism, and the Constitution. This besides calls into question the legitimacy of the non-biological, non-grihasthi PM,” Mr. Ramesh said. 

The adjacent steps for the Modi Government are wide -- they should instrumentality 33% preservation for women successful the existing acceptable up of the Lok Sabha for the 2029 elections, helium said. 

“This has been the accordant request of the full Opposition ever since September 2023 erstwhile the Parliament unanimously passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Act 2023 - which yet got notified lone precocious past night,” Mr. Ramesh said. 

-PTI

Congress person Rahul Gandhi connected Friday said the Constitution Amendment Bill brought by the authorities to tweak the women’s quota instrumentality was an onslaught connected the Constitution, which the Opposition has defeated. 

The Bill was not aimed astatine providing women reservation, but an effort to alteration India’s electoral structure, the person of absorption successful Lok Sabha said. 

“As I person said, it was an onslaught connected the Constitution and we defeated that,” helium said extracurricular Parliament.

“We intelligibly said that this was not a women’s bill, but an effort to alteration India’s electoral operation which we person stopped,” helium added. 

-PTI

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin connected Friday said “Tamil Nadu defeats Delhi” connected the decision of the Constitution Amendment Bill successful the Lok Sabha.

Quickly reacting to the decision of the Bill to instrumentality preservation for women successful legislatures successful 2029 and summation the fig of seats of the Lok Sabha successful the Lower House, Mr. Stalin posted successful societal media a representation of him mounting connected occurrence a transcript of the Delimitation Bill.

Further, Mr. Stalin said: “On April 23, we volition decision Delhi’s arrogance, unneurotic with slaves who enactment that arrogance.” 

-PTI

The authorities connected Friday said it would not proceed with 2 related Bills linked to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, stressing that they could not beryllium viewed successful isolation.

Addressing the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju described the authorities arsenic an important and historical measurement for women, but expressed disappointment implicit the Opposition’s deficiency of support. 

The authorities said the result reflected a missed accidental for statement connected a cardinal reform.

Mr. Rijiju reiterated that efforts to guarantee greater respect and practice for women would proceed nether the enactment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The 131st Constitution Amendment Bill fails to walk successful Lok Sabha. 

The Bill could not unafraid the required two-thirds majority. 

Speaking connected women’s reservation, Amit Shah says information of women successful authorities has steadily accrued implicit the years, citing that determination were 22 women members successful the archetypal Lok Sabha, 51 successful the 14th, a grounds 71 successful the 17th, and 75 successful the 18th. 

He says this information reflects a wide upward trend. “We request to supply a larger level to further heighten this participation.”

He adds that the authorities has supported this effort successful some missive and spirit. “Members similar Uma Bharti, Anandiben Patel, Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje were pioneers successful starring States. Delhi present besides has a pistillate Chief Minister.” helium adds. 

Speaking successful the Lok Sabha connected women’s reservation, Amit Shah says the 33% quota for women successful panchayats was introduced successful 1992 nether past Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, but alleged that the Congress ne'er supported him. 

He adds that erstwhile H.D. Deve Gowda became Prime Minister successful 1996, immoderate parties opposed the projected amendment to bring successful women’s preservation law. 

Replying to the statement connected Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah says the Congress enactment has historically opposed caste-based census and reservation. 

He says, the Congress party, successful each these years ne'er had an OBC Prime Minister. “This changed aft Narendra Modi became the PM,” helium says. 

“In 1980, erstwhile PM Indira Gandhi enactment the Mandal Commission connected hold. In 1990, erstwhile Rajiv Gandhi became the PM, it was accepted, and helium gave a two-and-a-half-hour code and opposed OBC reservation,” Mr. Shah says. 

For Congress, winning elections is priority, but for us, practice of the radical of our country, and their information are much important, Mr. Shah says successful Lok Sabha. 

Home Minister Amit Shah urges each the members of the House to walk the Bills. 

He assures of authoritative amendment mentioning 50% summation successful LS seats crossed States if Opposition agrees

Mr. Shah suggests the House tin beryllium adjourned for 1 hour, discuss, travel backmost and walk the Bills. 

SP MP Akhilesh Yadav says helium doesn’t judge the BJP authorities to bring successful affirmative reforms. 

Replying to the statement successful Lok Sabha connected Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah says determination is simply a cognition among members that confederate practice volition diminish aft delimitation. 

“I privation to marque it wide that southbound practice volition not travel down station delimitation, I tin warrant that,” helium says. 

Speaking successful the House connected Friday, Amit Shah says Congress deprived radical of delimitation erstwhile it was successful power. 

“It is inactive doing the same,” helium adds. 

He says radical opposing delimitation are against an summation successful fig of SC, ST seats. 

Speaking successful the House connected Friday, Amit Shah says, MPs from the confederate India person the aforesaid close arsenic the members from the bluish parts of the country. 

“Even radical from a tiny UT similar Lakshadweep should beryllium reasonably represented,” Mr. Shah says. 

Home Minister Amit Shah says the colonisation of India has importantly gone up betwixt 1976 and 2026. However, the fig of MPs representing this colonisation has not accrued proportionately, helium says. 

“Every elector should person an adjacent worth for their right, and station this expansion, we believe, they will,” Mr. Shah says. 

We are expanding seats successful each State by 50%, connected pro rata basis, Mr. Shah adds. “We volition marque definite nary of the voters stay unrepresented,” helium adds. 

Speaking successful the Lok Sabha connected Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah says determination is an imbalanced practice successful the country. “In immoderate States, a fewer lakhs of radical are represented by 1 MP, and successful others, a fewer thousands,” helium says. 

This imbalance successful ratio of voters to MPs tin beryllium corrected done delimitation, Mr. Shah adds. 

He further goes connected to accidental Indira Gandhi brought successful delimitation erstwhile she was the Prime Minister. “She accrued the Lok Sabha seats from 522 to 543 successful 1972,” helium says. 

Replying to the statement connected Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah says the Narendra Modi authorities has brought successful these administrative reforms to empower women, and to execute balanced representation. 

“Only aft the delimitation process is done, we shall bring successful the women’s preservation law,” helium says. 

Union curate Annpurna Devi connected Friday said the projected amendment to the women’s preservation enactment reflects the aspirations of crores of women and volition people a historical measurement towards ensuring their greater information successful lawmaking.

Participating successful a statement successful the Lok Sabha connected the 3 bills introduced for amendments to the women’s quota instrumentality and mounting up a delimitation commission, the curate for women and kid improvement said the bills are beardown impervious of women’s rights and dignity successful India.

“Crores of women crossed the state are watching the proceedings with large anticipation and expectation. After decades of struggle, they consciousness their aspirations are yet being fulfilled,” Ms. Devi said.

Claiming that specified efforts faced repeated delays earlier, she said, “Whenever it comes to giving rights to women, the absorption creates hurdles to hold and derail the process.” She besides questioned the Congress’ grounds connected OBC issues, saying the enactment failed to enactment connected cardinal measures contempt being successful powerfulness for decades.

“You (Congress) ruled the state for 50 years. Why didn’t you enactment connected the Mandal Commission report? Why was the OBC Commission not fixed law status?” she asked.

“It was nether Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the OBC Commission was granted law status,” she said. 

-PTI

Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad says the enactment is opposed to the Delimitation Bill which the authorities is trying to walk nether the guise of women’s reservation.

“This Bill has already been passed successful 2023 and it should person been implemented successful 2024 itself. If it had been, we wouldn’t beryllium sitting present having this discussion. Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi person already mentioned this instrumentality should person been implemented successful 2024 elections itself to recognise women,” she adds, referring to the Congress arsenic being pro-women done the years by electing them arsenic enactment chiefs, main ministers and premier ministers.

“Can BJP elite a pistillate main for their party? Can RSS main beryllium a woman,” Ms. Gaikwad asks.

Union Minister and JD(S) person H.D. Kumaraswamy described the DMK’s arguments against bills to tweak the women quota instrumentality arsenic “fear mongering” and said they bash not correspond the views of the confederate States.

Congress is not prepared to grip the monolithic alteration and that the enactment has mislaid interaction with radical and does not cognize however to header with this transformation, helium added. “The Congress, which has mislaid the capableness to deliberation independently, mislaid its quality to make its ain arguments is present being led by the DMK’s narrative.”

“Rahul Gandhi called himself the younger member of (Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) M.K. Stalin sometime backmost but it appears that aft the seat-sharing dispute, the elder member is aggravated with the younger brother. The younger member is inactive looking for immoderate emotion from the older brother...,” helium said.

PTI

Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, speaking during the treatment successful Lok Sabha, condemns the “unparliamentary expressions” utilized by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi successful his code opposing amendments to women’s quota law.

Speaking successful favour of the Bills, Ms. Devi alleges that the Opposition MPs’ attempts is breaking the hopes and expectations of crores of women who are looking guardant to the 33% reservation.

On matters of delimitaion, Ms. Devi says Union Home Minister Amit Shah volition elaborate and clarify the details during his code successful the Lok Sabha today.

Jammu & Kashmir National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad says determination was nary merit and chaos was carried retired successful the sanction of delimitation successful J&K and Assam. He besides questioned the request for a peculiar sitting of the Parliament connected women’s reservation.

“If you privation to transportation retired delimitation, it should beryllium conducted with amended credibility of the Delimitation Commission,” helium says, adding that the committee visited J&K lone for 2 days and was chiefly based successful New Delhi which created a batch of confusion. 

”You are talking astir delimitation? If the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, is implemented arsenic the authorities has notified, we are acceptable to instrumentality it from time based connected 543 seats and it’ll happen... Who volition beryllium liable for confederate States? They volition suffer retired connected seats and Rahul Gandhi volition beryllium liable for it,” Nishikant Dubey says.

He appeals to the members of the House to let for the implementation of women’s quota from 2029, portion protecting the confederate States and women of each sections.

During BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s code referring to Congress leaders historically opposing the caste census, Samajwadi Party main Akhilesh Yadav rises to inquire questions connected erstwhile it volition beryllium conducted and whether OBC women volition beryllium included successful the women’s preservation law.

To this, Kiren Rijiju says circumstantial answers shall beryllium elaborated connected during Home Minister Amit Shah’s reply successful the Lok Sabha.

“Do not flip excessively galore pages of the past book,” Mr. Yadav quips arsenic Mr. Dubey continues

After Rahul Gandhi’s speech, BJP MP Anurag Thakur rises to constituent retired that the Congress person repeatedly walks retired aft saying “wrongful” things. He adds that it is against the rules of the House.

To this, Chair Jagdambika Pal requests the House to support decorum and clarifies that anyone who wishes to determination retired of the House, tin bash so.

“I cognize overmuch much than what I americium saying this House,” Rahul Gandhi says, pointing towards the ruling MPs. He adds the Opposition volition decision the Bill successful the adjacent 30-45 minutes.

He presumption PM Modi’s code successful Lok Sabha connected Thursday (April 16, 2026) arsenic “low energy” successful which “nothing was transmitting”. He repeats his assertion that it is simply a panic determination by the BJP.

He refers to the day and says “16 is the number, it is the full reply to the riddle.”

Amid continued disruption, Rahul Gandhi attempts to proceed his speech. Speaker Birla reprimands him implicit not speaking connected the Bill and utilizing “unparliamentary expressions” successful the House.

“BJP thinks they are the radical of India. They deliberation besides deliberation they are the equipped forces. They should halt hiding down them. We volition decision this Bill close here,” helium says.

Rahul Gandhi says the BJP knew precise intelligibly that this Bill really cannot beryllium passed. Further helium says: “They are not anserine and knew each Opposition idiosyncratic volition oppose. This was a panic reaction. Prime Minister wanted to nonstop 2 messages: helium wanted to alteration the electoral representation and wanted to nonstop different connection that helium is pro-women.”

“Why he’s doing that? I volition permission to your imagination.”

“We cognize precisely wherefore helium is doing it,” helium asserts

Referring to Dalits and OBCs, Rahul Gandhi says: “You telephone them Hindus and you bash not springiness them immoderate abstraction successful this country.”

Further, helium says the authorities is trying to “rejig” the governmental representation arsenic it did successful Jammu and Kashmir, and Assam. 

He adds that some Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee understood the “dangers of it (delimitation)” and did not let for it to happen.

Amid din successful the House implicit Rahul Gandhi’s speech, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rises to petition the LoP to not widen the code beyond time. “We volition let you to talk without disruption and that broadside should let to”

Speaker Om Birla makes repeated requests to support decorum of the House and urges Rahul Gandhi to talk connected the Bill.

“This is thing abbreviated of an anti-national Act. Under nary condition are we going to let you to bash this. The full Opposition is going to decision the effort of yours to onslaught the federation authorities and deprive the Dalits and OBCs of their rightful spot successful society,” Rahul Gandhi states.

“I privation to guarantee the southern, northeastern, and smaller States that we volition not let the authorities to interaction your practice successful the Union of India,” helium adds.

Stating that the Bill has “nothing to do” with women empowerment, Rahul Gandhi says that it is an effort to alteration the electoral representation of India. 

Highlighting “truths”, helium says this is astir bypassing the caste census and “not giving immoderate place” to the minorities of the state including the Dalits and OBCs.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) successful Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi begins his code connected a lighter enactment by referring his his sister and Congress person Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s code successful the Lok Sabha connected Thursday (April 17, 2026).

“My sister was capable to bash what I haven’t been capable to execute successful the past 20 years, to marque Amit Shah laugh,” helium said, adding that helium appreciates her benignant of talking which is antithetic than his.

With the Lok Sabha acceptable to ballot connected the transition of 3 important Bill astatine 4 p.m. today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an entreaty to the Members of the House, urging them to “not deprive Nari Shakti of caller opportunities”.

“If this amendment is passed unanimously, it volition further empower the women of our state and fortify our democracy. Let america travel unneurotic contiguous to make history. Let america guarantee that the women of India, who are fractional of the nation’s population, person their rightful due,” helium wrote successful a station connected X.

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Prime Minister and Home Minister are misguiding the Parliament, said DMK MP A. Raja. 

He said, “It is successful the sanction of women’s right, the govt is promoting favoritism among States. By favoritism you privation to beforehand North-South divide. By this disagreement you privation to person perpetual regularisation successful center. By perpetual powerfulness you privation to found theocratic state, by theocratic authorities you privation to enforce 1 language, 1 culture. We volition not licence your imagination crook into reality. In Tamil Nadu we volition reason it”

The Delimitation Bill is simply a blatant onslaught connected cooperative national structure, said MP Hibi Eden. He asked, PM Modi stated that nary States volition suffer its share, but wherefore isn’t it mentioned successful the Delimitation Bill.

States that invested successful education, reduced colonisation growth, those states are losing, remarked Mr. Eden. Raising question connected Delimitation, helium said,” So are we saying that advancement volition outgo power. Delimitation is not arithmetic, its power. Do not nexus women preservation to a process that volition interruption the national structure.”

TDP is supporting women preservation Bill and Delimitation Bill, says TDP MP Krishna Devarayalu. He said, “Home Minister Amit Shah clarified connected 50% summation of seats for States successful LS, truthful we won’t beryllium losing immoderate seats.”

Kalyan Banerjee said the enactment volition enactment women reservation, but helium demands that it has to beryllium implemented connected the contiguous capableness of the Parliament. He said that determination is nary request to nexus delimitation with women reservation. 

He claimed BJP does not person capable women representative, saying that 12.91% MPs are women retired of each of BJP MPs successful LS and lone 16.98% successful RS. He said that women preservation should not beryllium based connected convenience, it should beryllium constitutional, nary 1 should bargain with women reservation.

Opposition members successful the Lok Sabha connected Friday (April 17, 2026) questioned the government’s determination to determination a Bill to amend the 2023 women’s preservation instrumentality earlier bringing the main Act into force.

Delimitation requires profound discussion, said Congress person Shashi Tharoor. He said the aforesaid haste authorities showed during demonetisation and the delimitation workout is governmental demonetisation.

The 50% summation of seats look projected by Amit Shah is precarious governmental statement, it is not promised by legislature, alleged Mr. Tharoor.

Expanding the LS to 850 seats volition effect successful a assemblage that is unworkable. With the size of the LS increased, determination is nary connection to summation the size of RS, it volition make an imbalance betwixt 2 house, said Mr. Tharoor.

We volition enactment the women preservation Bill but for the Delimitation Bill fto america defer, remarked Mr. Tharoor.

Nominated subordinate Harivansh was elected Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha unopposed, connected Friday (April 17, 2026). ​

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If this govt is assured that the Delimitation Bill is fare past wherefore they are not placing the Bill successful T.N. legislature, said DMK MP Kanimozhi. She said the govt didn’t consult with immoderate Chief Minsters of immoderate States. 

She said that successful 2021 govt postponed the census adding that the largest state couldn’t behaviour census. “They postponed the census, present they are rewarding them with the aged census. The peculiar league called successful the mediate of State predetermination successful 5 States,” said Kanimozhi. She added that BJP came successful govt successful 2014 and Opposition had written to govt to walk women preservation Bill. She said Opposition parties person raised this contented successful Parliament. Now the authorities can’t adjacent hold for 2 weeks. BJP is utilizing women arsenic electoral rescue strategy, alleged DMK MP Kanimozhi.

On Women’s Reservation Bill, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal said, “Let the authorities telephone an all-party meeting. Let them retreat this measure and telephone an all-party meeting. We are acceptable for the implicit implementation of Women’s Reservation Bill wrong the existing 543 seats. Keep 543 arsenic the full fig and reserve one-third for women. You are not safeguarding the interests of women done this bill. If you genuinely privation to safeguard the interests of women, this is the champion way. In the sanction of women, you are trying to hijack democracy, which we cannot allow.” ​

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The INDIA bloc MPs are scheduled to clasp a gathering astatine Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s enclosure successful Parliament astatine 10 a.m. connected Friday (April 17) to chalk retired the strategy for the Floor of the House.

This comes arsenic Lok Sabha contiguous is acceptable to proceed treatment and ballot connected the transition of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which provides 33% preservation to women successful Parliament and State Assemblies, on with the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 extending it to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, and the Delimitation Bill, which is acceptable to summation and redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, expanding them up to 850. - ANI

National Conference subordinate Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said successful the Lok Sabha connected Thursday (April 16, 2026) that the delimitation Bill would interaction the constituencies successful specified a mode that “minorities volition cease to person governmental and electoral power.”

He said the gerrymandering of seats done successful Jammu and Kashmir done the delimitation workout would beryllium repeated crossed the country.

Read the afloat nonfiction here,

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav connected Thursday (April 16, 2026) asked the Union authorities to operationalise the women’s preservation instrumentality lone aft completing the caste census, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of reducing “ nari” (women) to a specified “ nara” (slogan).

DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin connected Thursday (April 16) demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi supply a written assurance successful Parliament that Parliamentary constituencies would proceed to beryllium determined based connected the 1971 colonisation for the adjacent 25 years.

Read the afloat nonfiction here,

Women parliamentarians crossed enactment lines connected Thursday (April 16, 2026), weighing successful connected the statement connected the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, and those bringing successful delimitation successful the States and Union Territories, portion endorsing their enactment line, cited, successful respective instances, the affirmative relation of the antheral founders and leaders of their parties successful enabling the information of women successful jobs, education, and politics.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah connected Thursday (April 16, 2026) told the Lok Sabha that the Bills to amend the women’s preservation instrumentality and transportation retired a caller delimitation workout volition support existent proportional practice of confederate States intact portion expanding the implicit fig of seats for each State astir by 50%.