Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8.30 pm on Saturday. He is expected to speak on the Constitution Amendment Bill that sought early implementation of Women’s Reservation and Delimitation but was defeated by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
“The Prime Minister will address the nation at 8.30 PM (April 18, Saturday),” an official said, without giving further details.
The address comes a day after the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, failed to pass in the Lok Sabha, deepening the political divide between the Opposition and the ruling NDA.
The One Hundred and Sixth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, provided for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
However, the latest proposal tied its implementation to delimitation, a move that Opposition parties have opposed.
The BJP-led NDA government was unable to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on Friday. In the voting that followed a day-long debate, 298 members supported the Bill while 230 opposed it, leading to its defeat.
During the debate on the bill, PM Modi had urged the Opposition’s support, saying those opposing the women’s reservation will pay the price for a long time.
PM Modi had said that 33 per cent reservation is the right of the women of the country, adding that it is time for the 50 per cent population of the country to become a part of decision-making.
Opposing the amendment bill, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said that he is ready to support the bill in its 2023 form.
“Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in 2023 with everyone’s support. What is happening now is an attempt to change India’s electoral map….Bring back the old bill and we will support it…,” Gandhi added.