PM To Address Nation At 8:30 PM, Day After Women's Quota Bill Defeated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8:30 pm today, sources said.

The timing of the address is significant as it comes a day after the Women's Reservation Bill failed the Parliament test amid opposition backlash over the government's approach.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill aimed to increase the seats in the Lok Sabha, from the existing 543 to 816, to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women. While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority, causing it to fail.

Two other bills, including one for delimitation and increasing the number of seats in the Lok Sabha, were not put to a vote after the first one failed, with the Centre saying they were "intrinsically linked" to the legislation related to women's reservation.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi told his Cabinet that the Opposition has committed a mistake by not supporting the women's quota bill and will "face consequences". "They have let down the women of the country. This message must be taken to every single person, to every single village," the prime minister said, according to sources.

Sources said that the Opposition will be writing a letter to PM Modi, demanding the implementation of the previous Women's Reservation Bill. Parties belonging to the INDIA Alliance will also hold press conferences across the country to state that while they support women's reservation, the government was "attempting to alter the country's political landscape" under its guise, they added.

The Prime Minister's last address to the nation was on September 21, 2025, when he briefed people on GST 2.0 reforms.

Before this, he had addressed the nation on May 12, 2025, about Operation Sindoor, India's counterstrike after the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.