Guwahati, April 17: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday lashed out at the Congress-led opposition after the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which sought to implement 33% reservation for women in legislatures beginning 2029.

The bill, which also proposed increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census, was defeated in the Lower House with 298 members voting in favour and 230 against. Out of 528 MPs who voted, the bill required 352 votes for passage.

Reacting to the outcome, Sarma described April 17 as a “Black Day” and accused the opposition of betraying women. “The Opposition led by Congress has proven that they are ANTI WOMEN. Shame,” he wrote in a post on X.

The amendment also envisaged increasing seats in state and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate the 33% quota for women. Its defeat has drawn sharp reactions from ruling party leaders, who accused the opposition of blocking a historic measure, while opposition parties maintained that linking reservation with delimitation was politically motivated.