Move to redraw constituencies, link women’s quota to delimitation
The Union government is set to introduce a constitutional amendment bill to expand the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats, alongside key changes to the delimitation process.
According to reports, the proposed increase will allocate 815 seats to states and 35 to Union Territories, significantly raising the current cap of 550 members under the Constitution.
According to Scroll, the bill, expected to be tabled when Parliament reconvenes on Thursday, also seeks to amend Article 82 governing delimitation, the process of redrawing constituency boundaries, to enable seat allocation based on more recent population data.
At present, the composition of the Lok Sabha is based on the 1971 Census, with constituency boundaries frozen under the 84th Amendment until after the first census post-2026. The ongoing census exercise, which began earlier this month, is expected to conclude in 2027.
However, the proposed amendment would allow delimitation to proceed using data from the 2011 Census, citing significant demographic changes, including population shifts, urbanisation, and regional disparities.
The government said the move is necessary to correct “wide disparities in population and constituencies” and to ensure more equitable representation across states.
According to Hindustan Times, the proposed changes are also linked to the implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The government indicated that advancing delimitation based on existing census data would enable the quota to be operationalised sooner, rather than waiting for the next census cycle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for consensus across political parties, urging “collective action” to ensure that the reservation is implemented ahead of the 2029 general elections.
“Let all political parties come together and advance this work concerning the rights of the country’s sisters and daughters with a unanimous consensus,” Modi said.
The development comes as Parliament convenes a special sitting to consider amendments related to the women’s reservation law and the proposed delimitation framework.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have raised concerns over the move, particularly its potential impact on representation of southern states. Critics have argued that basing seat allocation on newer population data could disproportionately favour states with higher population growth.
MK Stalin alleged that the Centre is “bulldozing” the amendment without adequate consultation, warning of protests if the interests of southern states are adversely affected.
Opposition leaders have also questioned the timing of the bill, arguing that it is being rushed ahead of the completion of the ongoing census.
With general elections due in 2029, the proposed changes, if passed, could significantly reshape India’s electoral landscape in terms of both representation and gender inclusion. (With inputs from Scroll and Hindustan Times)
