Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has urged the Centre to reintroduce the original Women’s Reservation Bill, a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, failed to pass in the Lok Sabha during the special Parliament sitting. Speaking to ANI ahead of the final day of the session, she challenged the government to bring back the earlier version of the bill that had once enjoyed broad political consensus. “They should bring the old women’s bill, the one which was passed by all parties, immediately on Monday. Hold Parliament on Monday, bring the bill and let’s see who is anti-woman. We will all vote and support you,” she said.

Her remarks come amid heightened political tensions between the ruling BJP-led government and opposition parties following the bill’s defeat. The measure, which linked women’s reservation to delimitation and census exercises, fell short of the two-thirds majority required, with 298 members voting in favor and 230 against. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed that the amendment had not been passed, prompting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to announce that the government would not proceed with two related bills.

The BJP has accused opposition parties of blocking a historic reform intended to guarantee 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that Congress, TMC, and other parties prevented its passage and warned of political consequences. The opposition, however, has maintained that while it supports women’s reservation in principle, it opposes linking it to delimitation and census processes. Rahul Gandhi described the bill as an attempt to alter India’s electoral structure, while Congress leaders framed the vote as a defense of democratic values.