Centre proposes 816 Lok Sabha seats to implement Women’s quota; Kerala assembly to reach 210

NEW DELHI: The Central Government is moving to fast-track the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act) by proposing a sweeping expansion of legislative bodies. In a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah today, the government suggested increasing the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by 50% to accommodate the 33% women's quota without reducing the current number of seats available to male candidates.

816-Seat Proposal

Under this framework, the government plans to delink the reservation from the upcoming national census and the subsequent delimitation exercise, which were the original conditions for the law's commencement. By utilising 2011 Census data as a baseline for an immediate expansion:

• Lok Sabha: Total seats would rise from 543 to 816.
• Women’s Quota: Exactly one-third of this new total—273 seats—would be reserved for women.
• Regional Impact: In Kerala, the Lok Sabha representation would increase to 30 seats, while the State Assembly would expand from 140 to 210 seats.

Political consensus and timeline

The proposal aims to address the concerns of southern states regarding representation loss and the anxieties of sitting MPs who feared losing their constituencies. The government has reached out to various parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and BJP allies, to evolve a consensus.

Sources indicate that if the opposition agrees to these "modalities," the current Parliamentary session may be extended by a week to pass the necessary constitutional amendments. This would ensure the reservation is active for the 2029 General Elections.