New Delhi: The Center is reportedly planning to increase the Lok Sabha seats to a maximum of 850 to reserve 33 per cent seats for women ahead of the 2029 assembly elections. According to the draft Constitutional Amendment Bill, which will be tabled in the special session of Parliament starting from April 16, the number of seats in state and union territory assemblies will also be increased to accommodate reservations, news agency PTI reported.
The draft bill has been circulated among Lok Sabha lawmakers. It said, “The Lok Sabha shall consist of not more than 815 members directly elected from the territorial constituencies of the States; not more than 35 members representing the Union Territories, elected in the manner prescribed by the laws of Parliament.” The report states that the 850 figure is only an upper limit and the final number will be decided by the Demarcation Commission.The move, led by the Narendra Modi government, aims to speed up the implementation of the scheme by linking the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam with the delimitation exercise based on the latest census.The proposed amendments will increase the effective number of seats in the Lok Sabha to 816, of which 273 seats will be reserved for women. State Assemblies and Union Territory Legislatures are also planning similar increases to accommodate the one-third quota. The bill states that seats reserved for women “shall be allotted to different constituencies in a state or union territory on a rotational basis”.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pushing for the amendment to be passed quickly.Earlier this week, he said “any further delay would be unfortunate and a grave injustice to Indian women”. He added that India’s democracy would become “stronger and more vibrant” if the 2029 elections were held with reservation for women.The government is also expected to introduce two accompanying bills:
- for managing the demarcation process
- Facilitate implementation of the law in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry.
While these can pass with a simple majority, constitutional amendments will require special majorities in both chambers.The proposal comes amid political friction over the basis of demarcation. Opposition parties have expressed concerns about the principles being adopted and southern leaders have warned of possible disadvantages. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin warned against “massive agitation” if the national interest was harmed, while Telangana Chief Minister Ravensh Reddy said there was “injustice”. “When the intention behind a bill is mischievous and the content is perverse, the extent of the damage to parliamentary democracy is enormous,” the Congress claimed.The NDA said the seat allocation will follow the proportional representation system using census data (currently 2011 data), although the ongoing 2027 census may also be taken into account once it is announced, PTI reported, citing NDA sources. They argue that southern states may have relatively benefited from better population control compared to northern states.The draft clarifies that “population” will refer to a number in the census “which Parliament may by law determine”, providing flexibility on which data set to use. The Statement of Objectives and Reasons states that waiting for the next census and subsequent delimitation will delay women’s participation and therefore requires immediate legislative intervention.Under the current 2023 law, the reservation will only come into effect after the first demarcation exercise after the 2027 census, effectively delaying implementation until after 2034. The proposed amendment seeks to bring this timetable forward to 2029.The reservation period for women will last for 15 years from the coming into effect of the law in 2023, unless Parliament decides to extend it further. The NDA currently has 292 seats in the Lok Sabha, while the main opposition party holds 233 seats, making secret negotiations crucial to getting the required special majority.
