Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on April 17 sharply criticised the Congress-led opposition after a Constitution amendment bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures by 2029 was defeated in the Lok Sabha.

Reacting to the development, Sarma termed April 17 a “Black Day” and accused the opposition of being “anti-women.” In a post on X, he said the defeat of the bill reflected the opposition’s unwillingness to support greater political representation for women.

The proposed legislation sought to operationalise women’s reservation in Parliament and state assemblies, along with increasing the total number of Lok Sabha seats. However, despite securing 298 votes in favour, the bill fell short of the required two-thirds majority, with 230 members voting against it out of a total of 528 votes cast.

As per the provisions of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the number of Lok Sabha seats was proposed to be increased from the current 543 to 816, linked to a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. The expansion was intended to facilitate the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women ahead of the 2029 general elections.

The bill also proposed a corresponding increase in seats across state and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate the reservation quota.

The defeat of the bill has triggered a fresh political confrontation, with the ruling BJP accusing the opposition of blocking a key reform, while opposition parties have raised concerns over linking the reservation to delimitation and census processes.