Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has described the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha as a “big victory for democracy”, slamming the Centre’s move to fast‑track women’s reservation by linking it with delimitation as a “conspiracy to stay in power.” Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, she argued that the outcome reflected the strength of Opposition unity and dealt a serious blow to the ruling alliance’s electoral strategy.
‘Black day for the Centre’
Gandhi began by calling what happened in Parliament “a big victory for democracy” and “a victory against attempts to weaken the federal structure.” She termed it a “black day for the Centre”, saying those in power had “felt a shock for the first time” and that their plan to reshape the country’s electoral map had been derailed. “You saw it on their faces,” she said. “This is a victory for the Constitution and for Opposition unity.”
According to her, the ruling side had positioned itself so that regardless of whether the bill passed or failed, it would spin the narrative in its favour. “They believed that if the bill was passed, it would be a win, and even if it was not passed, it would still be a win,” she alleged. “They wanted to claim credit as champions of women either way.”
Delimitation versus women’s reservation
The Congress leader sharply questioned the government’s decision to tie delimitation to the women’s reservation framework. She argued that the Opposition could not allow a government that has shown “no regard for institutions” to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 and redraw electoral boundaries using the 2011 Census, all under the banner of women’s quota.
“This is not really about women’s reservation; that is now clear,” she said, stressing that the real issue was freedom to act arbitrarily. She reiterated that the Opposition is not against women’s reservation, but against the method and intent behind the current bill. Women, she insisted, “cannot be fooled” by what are essentially “political theatrics wrapped in the language of gender empowerment.”
2023 bill as the ‘real’ way forward
Gandhi urged the government to bring back the 2023 Women’s Reservation Bill exactly as it was originally passed, with 33% reservation implemented within the existing number of seats. The 2023 version did not link the quota to delimitation and did not require a change in the size of the House.
“If you truly want to do something for women, bring back the 2023 bill, and we will support it,” she said, challenging the ruling side to prove that it is ready to back women’s reservation without using it as a shield for electoral engineering. She maintained that the Opposition is prepared to back implementation “in the current situation and existing seats.”
Alluding to past failures on women
The Congress leader also invoked the government’s record on women’s rights, citing the Unnao and Hathras cases and asking why voice for women was not raised during the Manipur violence. These references were clearly aimed at countering the narrative that the BJP is the primary guardian of women’s interests, and to underline that the party’s recent rhetoric does not match its track record.
“There is a reason women are watching closely,” she said. “This is not just about a quota; it is about how seriously their safety and dignity is taken.”
The bill and the numbers
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill sought to raise Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 to implement 33% reservation and to carry out delimitation based on the 2011 Census, bypassing a fresh caste‑based count. The Lok Sabha vote on Friday produced 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the two‑thirds majority needed (around 360 votes). With the bill defeated, both women’s reservation and the linked delimitation plan remain on ice, and the political battle over what comes next has only just begun.
