NEW DELHI (AP) — A bill to reserve a third of seats for women lawmakers failed to pass in the lower house of India's Parliament on Friday, along with a separate, linked proposal to expand the national legislature by redrawing voting boundaries.
The measure was seen as one of the most significant changes to India’s political system since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, but fell short after two days of debate involving both government and opposition lawmakers. It sought to mandate implementation of 33% representation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, a move aimed at increasing female participation in a system where women remain underrepresented.
However, the quota was tied to a contentious plan to redraw voting boundaries across India, which became a major sticking point. While there was broad cross-party support for increasing women’s representation, opposition parties warned that redrawing voting boundaries and expanding the size of Parliament could shift the political balance in favor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Both bills were introduced by Modi’s government during a three-day special session of Parliament that began Thursday and required approval by two-thirds of lawmakers. The legislation tied to the women’s quota fell short of that threshold, and the government later withdrew the delimitation proposal.
The delimitation exercise, if passed, would have increased the number of seats in the lower house from 543 to about 850 by the time of the next parliamentary elections due in 2029.
Major opposition groups had resisted the bill, warning that basing constituencies on population data taken from the 2011 census could shift political power toward faster-growing northern states while reducing the representation, seat share, and influence of southern regions. They also argued the changes could benefit Modi’s party, which enjoys strong support in the north.
The government rejected these concerns, saying the plan would include a uniform 50% increase in seats across all states to preserve proportional representation nationwide. However, critics noted that the draft legislation did not explicitly guarantee this.
Hours before the bills were set to be taken up for a vote, Modi said on X that the government had addressed all concerns and “misconceptions surrounding the legislation with facts and logic.”
But opposition leaders remained unconvinced. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party described the move as “an attempt to change the electoral map of India.”
Indian women lawmakers pose outside Parliament House before the start of the debate on a landmark bill to reserve one-third of seats for women, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo)
A security officer takes photograph of Indian women lawmakers as they pose outside Parliament House before the start of the debate on a landmark bill to reserve one-third of seats for women, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo)
MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (AP) — Three people are dead and more than a dozen first responders had to be quarantined and assessed Wednesday for possible exposure to an unidentified substance after being called to a suspected drug overdose at a rural New Mexico home, authorities said.
New Mexico State Police said three of the four people who were found unresponsive inside the home east of Albuquerque died. The fourth was being treated at a hospital in Albuquerque.
During the response, authorities said, first responders were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms including nausea and dizziness.
Officials at University of New Mexico Hospital confirmed that 23 patients who were exposed to an unknown substance were assessed and decontaminated after being transported to the hospital. Most of those were first responders who were showing no symptoms and were later discharged.
Medical teams continued to monitor three symptomatic patients Wednesday evening, according to the hospital.
Two first responders were listed in serious condition, said Officer Wilson Silver with New Mexico State Police.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue Hazmat teams were assisting at the scene in Mountainair, a rural community east of Albuquerque, in efforts to identify the substance involved.
“At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne,” Silver said.
A police vehicle and yellow tape blocked a dirt road leading to the home.
While the investigation was ongoing, Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said in a social media post that indications were pointing toward drugs as a possible factor in the deaths at the home. He added that there was no threat to the public.
Residents, however, took to social media to voice their frustrations about drug use in the community and elsewhere.
The mayor said the town's law enforcement officers and first responders work every day to protect the community and respond to difficult situations.
“But the reality is that addiction and substance abuse are issues affecting communities all across our state and nation,” Nieto said. “There is no simple or immediate solution. Lasting change requires family support, accountability, education, and most importantly, individuals who are willing to accept help.”
Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
New Mexico State Police respond to home in Mountainair, N.M., where authorities say several people died Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and more than a dozen first responders were exposed to an unknown substance and later treated at a hospital. (AP Photo/Savannah Peters)
The University of New Mexico Hospital is seen on July 25, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
A New Mexico State Police vehicle blocks off a neighborhood in Mountainair, N.M., where authorities say several people died Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and more than a dozen first responders were exposed to an unknown substance and later treated at a hospital. (AP Photo/Savannah Peters)
FILE - A New Mexico State Police emblem is displayed on podium during a news conference, March 16, 2024, in Albuquerque, N.M. (Jon Austria/The Albuquerque Journal via AP, File)
