Lok Sabha Seats Set to Increase; Women to Receive Reservation Starting 2029… Government Prepares to Introduce Amendment Bill

Government Initiates Consultations with Opposition Parties (Photo: PTI)

The government is preparing to introduce a Constitutional Amendment that would facilitate the delimitation of constituencies and an increase in the total number of seats. Based on the 2011 Census, the number of Lok Sabha seats could rise to 816, of which 273 seats could be reserved for women.

The government introduced the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ to reserve 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. Despite the passage of this bill, the reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies has not yet been implemented. Now, the government is preparing to implement this law and reserve seats for women as soon as possible.

The government is now set to introduce an amendment bill in Parliament to provide reservation for women. This bill will include a provision to use the 2011 Census as the sole basis for the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies and for increasing the number of seats. Once this amendment bill is passed, the new delimitation exercise will result in an increase in Lok Sabha seats from the current 543 to 816. In a Lok Sabha comprising 816 members, 273 seats will be reserved for women.

It is noteworthy that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Act)—which was passed by both Houses of Parliament—contained a stipulation that it would come into effect only after a new census and subsequent delimitation exercise. Now, sources indicate that the government will introduce an amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam bill this week. This amendment is being introduced to ensure that women’s reservation can be implemented by the time of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Preparations Underway for a Constitutional Amendment

In addition to amending the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the government is also preparing to introduce a constitutional amendment. This constitutional amendment is being brought forward to enable the expansion of Lok Sabha seats—based on the 2011 Census—and to facilitate the implementation of women’s reservation in the 2029 general elections. Based on the 2011 Census data, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha could be increased from 543 to 816 for the 2029 elections. Of these, 273 seats could be reserved for women.

Home Minister Holds Talks with Opposition Leaders

The government has also initiated consultations with leaders of opposition parties regarding this matter. Home Minister Amit Shah has held discussions with leaders of various opposition parties—such as the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction)—concerning the proposed amendment to the Women’s Reservation Bill. Initially, the Home Minister reached out to smaller opposition parties…