India, April 17 --  The Lok Sabha on Friday rejected the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, after the government failed to secure the special majority required for a constitutional amendment, despite winning a clear simple majority.

The bill was put to division with 528 members voting, of whom 298 supported it and 230 opposed it. Under Article 368, the amendment required 352 votes, representing two-thirds of members present and voting. The shortfall of 54 votes led to its defeat.

The numbers make the outcome structurally unsurprising.

The BJP-led NDA currently commands around 292 seats in the Lok Sabha, with the BJP itself at roughly 240 seats. Even with full attendance and alliance cohesion, this leaves the government wel...