Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged all political parties to “take a sensitive decision by voting in favor of women’s reservation”. His recall came as Lok Sabha votes on three bills loomed. “Please reflect on your conscience and remember the women in your families,” he said in one of his social media posts.
The government introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha on Thursday – the controversial Constitution (Thirty First Amendment) Bill, 2026,
which increases the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and provides 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies; the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 to extend it to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, and the Delimitation Bill to increase and redraw the Lok Sabha constituencies to 850.
PM Modi’s appeal to Oppna ahead of polls
In a series of posts on X, Prime Minister Modi said the debate on the bills continued late into the night and that concerns, misconceptions and information gaps among members were comprehensively addressed.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi wrote, “There is currently a debate going on in Parliament regarding the amendment of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The debate continued till 1 am in the night.”
He said, “Logical answers were given to dispel the misconceptions that were being spread. Every concern was addressed. Information that was missing was also provided to all members. Any issue that might have caused resistance in anyone’s mind was also addressed.”
Prime Minister Modi said decades of political wrangling over women’s reservation must end and called on all parties to support the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam amendment and ensure greater representation for women as the Lok Sabha polls approach.
“For four decades, a lot of politics has been played on the issue of women’s reservation in the country. Now is the time when half of the country’s population must surely get their rights. Even after so many decades of independence, it is not right that Indian women have such minimal representation in the decision-making process,” the post read.
In his appeal to the opposition, he said, “Voting will be held in Lok Sabha shortly. I urge all political parties… I appeal… Please, after due consideration and with utmost sensitivity, take a decision and vote in favor of women’s reservation. In the name of Nari Shakti in the country, I will also pray to all members… please do not do anything to hurt the sentiments of Nari Shakti.”
“Millions of women are watching us… our intention and our decision. I again request everyone to support the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam amendments,” PM Modi’s post read.
Think of the “women in your own families”
In another social media post, PM Modi wrote: “I would like to appeal to all members of Parliament… Please think about your conscience and remember the women in your families.”
“Legislation to ensure the exclusivity of women in legislatures is a significant opportunity to do justice to the women of our nation,” he said.
“Please do not deprive our Nari Shakti of new opportunities. If passed unanimously, this amendment will further empower women in our country and strengthen our democracy,” PM Modi said.
“Let’s come together today to make history. Let’s ensure that women in India, who make up half of the nation’s population, get their due,” he added.
NDA falls short of numbers in Lok Sabha
If all 540 members of the Lok Sabha are present to vote on the Constitution (Thirty First Amendment) Bill in 2026, then it is less likely that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will get the two-thirds majority needed to pass the bill in the Lower House.
Going by the numbers, up to 360 MPs need to vote for the bill, but the government (293) does not have the absolute numbers to pass the bill in the Lok Sabha. The NDA falls short of the 67 votes needed for a one-third majority. Meanwhile, more than 230 opposition MPs have said they will oppose the laws.
