New Delhi, April 17 (NationPress) While the Opposition may be reveling in what it perceives as a victory by preventing the Union government from advancing three crucial Constitution Amendment Bills in the Lok Sabha on Friday after a heated two-day debate, it ultimately faltered in shaping the narrative.

Their assertion of being champions of social justice, caste enumeration, and reservation policies demands a reevaluation, presenting a political setback even amidst their so-called triumph. By casting the Opposition as anti-women and anti-OBC, the government adeptly redirected the conversation, depicting dissenters as elitists who obstruct progress.

In a session with 528 members present to cast their votes, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 garnered 298 votes in favor versus 230 against, revealing that the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fell approximately 54 votes short.

Additionally, the Lok Sabha saw the introduction of the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the Delimitation Bill, 2026. These legislative proposals aimed at enlarging the House of the People, facilitating delimitation based on the 2011 Census, and establishing reservations for women according to this delimitation.

The Jammu & Kashmir, Puducherry, and Delhi Laws Bill intended to implement similar provisions within those Union Territories. The Opposition opposed the association of delimitation with women's reservation implementation.

During the debate, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi declared that the bloc would categorically reject the Bills. Following the voting results, Parliamentary Minister Kiren Rijiju urged Speaker Om Birla to refrain from putting the other two Bills to a vote, citing their intrinsic interconnection.

Prime Minister Modi called upon the House to endorse the Bill focused on women's empowerment, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted, with statistics, that southern states should not fear losing representation relative to their current strength. Despite this, the Opposition remained steadfast in their stance.

Though the displayed numbers indicated a partisan divide, Rijiju reiterated the Modi government's commitment to advancing women's empowerment. “It's unfortunate that you missed an opportunity to empower women through this historic Bill,” he told the Opposition members who were celebrating the final outcome.

Meanwhile, citing past examples from the Congress administration to support his argument, the Home Minister criticized Gandhi's party for its long-standing opposition to caste-based census and reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). He dismantled the “false narrative” that the Bills would disadvantage southern states, presenting evidence indicating they would actually gain seats post-delimitation.

He accused the Opposition of “opposing everything,” from women's quotas to equitable representation, and noted that procedural rules prohibited substantive debates at introduction. PM Modi also urged critics to back the “landmark” reforms, framing the Bills as a fulfillment of longstanding women's empowerment demands without constitutional overreach.

The Treasury benches focused on equity rather than punitive measures for the South's family planning achievements. Shah also contested the Congress claim of being the sole party to empower women, citing examples such as the BJP's role in electing the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi, along with a Tribal woman as President of India.

With significant state elections approaching, including those in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal this month, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and others, the Opposition will need to strategize a defense once the reality of the situation sets in.

Regarding the demand for caste enumeration, the Home Minister clarified that the ongoing Census of India encompasses this aspect. The last Census occurred in 2011, with the next one expected in 2021 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act, which allocates 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, was officially notified on Thursday by the Union Law Ministry.