PM's last-minute appeal to MPs to back women's quota ahead of key vote
PM Modi, just hours before the crucial vote on the Women's Reservation Bill, urged all MPs to support the legislation, saying "crores of women across India are watching," and appealed to lawmakers to come together to "create history" today.
As the special session of Parliament on the three proposed bills continues and Lok Sabha MPs gather in the Lower House to vote, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a last-minute appeal on Friday urging all MPs to support the Women’s Reservation Bill, saying that “crores of women are watching us” as the lawmakers prepares to vote on the crucial legislation later in the evening.
In a post on X, PM Modi said a discussion is currently underway in Parliament on amending the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, adding that all “logical responses” had been given to address misconceptions and that all concerns raised during the debate had been clarified.
Notably, the BJP-led NDA government, which has linked the reservation to a proposed delimitation exercise aimed at increasing Lok Sabha seats, does not have the two-thirds majority required to pass the constitutional amendment on its own.
In what seemed like a last-minute appeal, PM Modi said the issue of women’s reservation had been delayed for decades due to political reasons and stressed that it was now time for women, who make up half the country’s population, to receive their rightful representation in decision-making.
The Lok Sabha will vote on the bill in the evening today after a marathon debate which began on Thursday.
The Congress-led Opposition, particularly parties from southern states, has alleged that a flawed and biased delimitation law is being pushed through while using the women’s quota as a “smokescreen.”
But PM Modi, in his post argued, "Even after so many decades of independence, it is not right that women in India have such limited representation in this area." He appealed to all political parties to support the amendment with sensitivity and avoid actions that could harm the sentiments of women.
“Crores of women are watching us, our intent and our decisions,” PM Modi added, calling for unanimous support for the legislation.
In another post minutes after his first, the Prime Minister urged MPs to reflect on their conscience and consider the women in their own families, saying they should not deprive India’s “Nari Shakti” of new opportunities.
He added that if the amendment is passed unanimously, it would further empower women and strengthen democracy, calling on lawmakers to “come together today to create history.”
The Women's Reservation Act 2023, which provides a 33 per cent quota for women in legislatures, was enacted on Thursday to facilitate the proposed amendment being discussed in Parliament.
The 2023 Act was notified effective from April 16, amid parliamentary debates to amend the law for implementation in 2029. An official cited "technicalities" for enforcing the law, although the reservation cannot be implemented in the current House.
Although the Constitution amendment Bill became law, it did not become part of the Constitution as it was not enforced by the government.
The notification specified April 16, 2026, as the date for the Act's provisions to come into force.
In September 2023, Parliament passed the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act, to enhance women's representation in legislative bodies. The Act reserves one-third of the seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies.
Under the 2023 law, the reservation will not be enforceable before 2034, as it is contingent upon the completion of the delimitation exercise post-2027 Census.
The government has introduced three bills: The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, The Delimitation Bill, 2026 and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill), 2026, to ensure the women quota can be implemented in 2029.