The government is expected to introduce a set of legislation in the Lok Sabha, including the Constitution amendment bill, a delimitation bill, and an enabling law for Union territories with legislatures — Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry — to fast-track implementation of the women’s reservation law passed in 2023.
As per the draft bill, the number of Lok Sabha seats could be increased to 850 from the current 543 to facilitate the women’s quota, following a delimitation exercise based on the latest census data.
The draft bill also mentions increasing the number of seats in state assemblies and Union Territories to accommodate 33% reservation for women.Also read | Maths vs myths of Lok Sabha expansion: With hike to 850 seats proposed, which states gain & how muchThe most pertinent question is, does the Centre have the numbers to get the Bills passed?
The amendment will require a special majority in both Houses of Parliament — more than 50% of the total membership and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting. If all 540 current members are present, at least 360 votes would be needed for passage.
Going by the numbers, the NDA holds 292 seats in the Lok Sabha, while the Opposition bloc has 233 MPs. The NDA falls short of 67 seats. In the Rajya Sabha, the magic number is 163, and the NDA has 142 MPs, leaving it 21 seats short of the majority mark.
Also read | Explained: Women’s Reservation Act and push for early rollout
The Opposition is united in opposing the delimitation component of the bill, calling it “politically motivated,” while reiterating support for women’s reservation.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Opposition favours implementing the one-third quota for women based on the current Lok Sabha strength of 543 seats in time for the 2029 general elections.
