In a significant legislative setback, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to expand the Lok Sabha by 50 seats and implement a 33% women's reservation, was defeated after the government failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority. The bill received only 27 votes in favor compared to 211 against, falling short of the 326 votes required for passage. The Opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, argued that the bill was not genuinely about women's empowerment but rather a means of 'mathematical gerrymandering' that would disadvantage southern and northeastern states. Following the defeat, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the Opposition for what he termed a 'historic betrayal' of women's rights, asserting that the government remains committed to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The failure of the bill raises uncertainty regarding the implementation of women's reservation ahead of the 2029 general elections, as it was linked to a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. The political implications of this defeat are expected to unfold in public discourse, with both sides framing the outcome in contrasting narratives.