April 17, 2026 Marked The Biggest Setback To BJP After 2024 Lok Sabha Polls

April 17, 2026 marked the biggest setback for PM Narendra Modi’s political design when the united INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha brought it down. Never before had INDIA bloc such a win, and Narendra Modi such a defeat, when a constitutional amendment bill brought by his government in a specially convened session of the Parliament of India failed. It was the biggest setback for PM since June 4, 2024, when Lok Sabha elections were out that had reduced his BJP to minority – from 303 seats to only 240.

The defeat of the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill, 2026 on April 17 seeking to amend Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 (the Constitution 106th Amendment Act of 2023) through which Modi government wanted to redraw electoral map of the country by way of delimitation based on Census 2011, as a next higher level of electoral manipulation is politically significant – that might have shaken the earth beneath the feat of PM Narendra Modi, while boosting up morale of the INDIA bloc and its constituents. The bill needed 352 votes, but could get only 298, while 230 votes were cast against it, with 528 MPs present out of 540. Three seats are vacant. The 12 MPs were not present in the House, for several reasons including the election being underway in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

The voting pattern shows one thing clearly – the INDIA bloc has emerged as the most united opposition in the country against the PM Narendra Modi led BJP’s political agenda in the country. Such a Unity was not even seen during the Lok Sabah election 2024. Unity within INDIA bloc had suffered since, with losses in several state legislative elections thereafter. The voting in the Lok Sabha on April 17, shows that they have not only recovered their unity, but also have attracted certain other political parties in their fold against the BJP and NDA.

In this context, the defeat of the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill 2026 in the Lok Sabha, is not a mall thing, because it is not only a defeat of a legislation, but also a political defeat of PM Narendra Modi and BJP in the hands of a strongly united INDIA bloc and other political parties in opposition. No wonder the NDA has been organising nationwide protests against the opposition blaming them for defeat of the women’s reservation.

However, every political party in the opposition has maintained that the bills were not for women’s reservation, but for redrawing of electoral map of the country to suit the BJP’s political agenda. Amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023 was just a cover up.

The new level of unity achieved among the political parties in opposition did not happen automatically, but it was a result of coordinated floor management by the INDIA bloc leadership and their political signalling to non-NDA non-INDIA bloc political parties on issue-based convergence to defeat PM Narendra Modi’s and RSS-BJP’s political agenda.

The amendment was framed by the opposition parties as a threat to constitutional balance in respect to federalism, judiciary, or electoral process. Every political party in opposition – whether national or regional – got a single rallying point and a clear common objective. Leaders across the opposition parties publicly emphasized “defending the constitution” and national and regional interests which helped them to override their internal differences. This shows that unity among the political parties in opposition can unite if there will be common clear objective and appropriate common agenda.

Congress being the largest opposition party played a greater role in uniting the opposition against PM Narendra Modi’s electoral agenda from behind the women’s reservation smokescreen. It successfully coordinated with bloc partners irrespective of political differences such as with Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Shiv Sena (UBT). Top leaders of the Congress, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge talked personally to several leaders of other political parties. All of them ultimately united against the government to defeat the bill.

Inside the Lok Sabha, there was a tight floor management. Whips were issued, attendance were enforced, and MPs were instructed to remain present throughout the voting window. They ensured minimal absenteeism among the INDIA bloc MPs and had established real-time communication during debate and voting. They have even resorted to strategic speaking slots in the House to maintain pressure on the government.

INDIA bloc leadership was also able to establish issue-based outreach beyond the INDIA bloc and reached non-aligned or smaller parties not formally part of the alliance. When a constitution amendment required two-third majority, such a strategy was important. It just shows that INDIA bloc leadership was very alert about its strategy.

What next for INDIA bloc? Can they successfully take on PM Narendra Modi and BJP in the General Election 2029? Even a lesser unity had cost BJP 63 seats in Lok Sabha election 2024, and reduced the party to minority with only 240 seats. Now with greater unity, they can think to render even bigger defeat to PM Narendra Modi and BJP, but then they will have to keep up the unity by real-time communication, better coordination, and a common objective. The united voting in the Lok Sabah shows that differences on account of regional and national interests of the parties can be ironed out, if there is a will. (IPA Service)