850 Seats, 273 Women: Legislative blueprint for India’s new Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: In a landmark move ahead of the implementation of women's reservation, the Union Government is set to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 through a new delimitation exercise. Under this proposal, 815 seats will be allocated to States and 35 to Union Territories. Of the total strength, 273 seats will be reserved for women. While the 33 percent reservation includes a mandatory "quota within a quota" for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women, a separate quota for OBC women is notably absent.

Legislative timeline and constitutional amendments

The government is scheduled to introduce both the Women’s Reservation and Delimitation Bills in Parliament this Thursday. To facilitate this expansion, the Centre seeks to amend Articles 81 and 82 of the Constitution, which govern the composition of the Lok Sabha and the readjustment of constituencies after each census.

Delimitation dispute

The move has met with sharp criticism from the Opposition, primarily regarding the timing and data being used. Critics argue that the Centre is acting with "undue haste" by utilising 2011 Census data instead of waiting for the results of the 2027 Census.

According to the 84th Constitutional Amendment (2001), delimitation was frozen until the first census conducted after 2026. By moving forward now, the Opposition claims the government is bypassing this constitutional safeguard.

Centre’s justification

Conversely, the Centre maintains that immediate delimitation is a demographic necessity. Rapid urbanization and significant inter-state migration have created vast disparities in constituency sizes that must be addressed to ensure fair representation. The government argues that waiting for the 2027 Census—and the subsequent time required for a new commission to complete its work—would indefinitely delay the implementation of women’s reservation, potentially pushing it past the 2029 elections.

Prime Minister Modi's open letter to Nari Shakti on Women's Reservation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed an open letter to the women of India regarding the historic implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill. In the letter, he celebrates the collective support from mothers, sisters, and daughters for the decision to ensure a 33% reservation in the 2029 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

The Prime Minister emphasised that while Indian women are currently excelling in diverse professional fields, their representation in legislative bodies must be increased to reflect their vital role in society. He asserted that amplifying women's voices in Parliament will fundamentally strengthen Indian democracy. To ensure the bill's success, PM Modi also urged citizens to write to their local Members of Parliament (MPs) to voice their support for this transformative reform.