Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed for landmark constitutional changes aimed at overhauling India's democratic system. The proposed bills sought to dramatically increase the size of Parliament by adding hundreds of seats and ensuring that at least one-third of lawmakers are women.
The push for these reforms triggered significant political tensions and debate within Parliament. Opposition parties accused the government of using the women's quota as a guise to redraw the country's electoral map and manipulate elections to increase its own influence.
The bid to expand the assemblies and implement the women's quota ultimately failed to pass in the lower house of Parliament. This defeat marks a significant setback for one of Modi's most ambitious political reforms and is the first time in 12 years in power that a constitutional amendment proposed by the Bharatiya Janata party government was not passed.