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New Delhi: The Union government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 by amending Article 81 of the Constitution through the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Bill provides for the redistribution of seats based on Census 2011, and seeks to amend Article 82 by omitting its Clause 3, which provided that the next delimitation would follow Census 2026.

The Bill is being introduced just before a special session of parliament scheduled for April 16-18, in which the Modi government seeks early implementation of reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

Accordingly, the proposed Bill also seeks to amend Article 334A to allow reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures, which will be done after delimitation.

The Nari Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 (the 128th constitutional amendment Act) passed unanimously in parliament in September that year, provided for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures but tied it to delimitation following the next census.

The 131st Constitution Amendment Bill proposes redistributing seats on the basis of Census 2011 even as........

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