Centre and Opposition clash in Parliament over women reservation and delimitation bill, government plans to expand Lok Sabha to about 850 seats and raise state seats for 33 percent quota
The Centre is pushing the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, as a landmark reform to operationalise the women’s quota law. However, Opposition parties have decided to oppose the legislation over its delimitation provisions, setting the stage for a heated debate.
The government, meanwhile, 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 proposal, the number of Lok Sabha seats could be increased to as many as 850 from the current 543 to facilitate the 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.
