Lok Sabha Rejects Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill 2026 To Increase Seats; Centre Withdraws Delimitation Bill

The Lok Sabha today rejected the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, moved by the Union Government, which seeks to expand the strength of the House and revise the framework governing delimitation and implementation of women's reservation.While 298 members present out of 528 members present and voting approved the Bill, 230 members voted against it. Thus, the Bill failed to procure the 2/3rd majority required for the passing of a Constitution Amendment Bill.Following the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju withdrew the Delimitation Bill 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026. These Bills proposed to increase the seats of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies on the basis of the 2011 Census, and to implement women's reservation along with the delimitation. The opposition parties opposed the Bills on the grounds that the increase of seats on the basis of the 2011 Census will disproportionately reduce the representation of the southern and north-eastern states. The opposition also questioned the hasty move to implement delimitation when the 2026-27 Census is underway. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill proposed to increase the Lok Sabha's strength from 543 to 850 seats, with a maximum of 815 members representing States and up to 35 representing Union Territories. The Bill also proposes to amend Article 82 of the Constitution by removing the existing requirement that delimitation must be undertaken on the basis of the first Census after 2026. By deleting the third proviso, the Centre seeks to enable delimitation without waiting for the upcoming Census 2027. In parallel, it proposes amendment to Article 334A to allow implementation of one-third reservation for women immediately after delimitation, instead of linking it to a post-Census exercise. The government has also introduced the Delimitation Bill, 2026, which will replace the Delimitation Act, 2002. The Bill provides for the constitution of a Delimitation Commission chaired by a serving or former Supreme Court judge, with the Chief Election Commissioner or a nominated Election Commissioner and the concerned State Election Commissioner as members. The Commission will redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies and readjust seat allocation based on the latest available census figures, i.e., the 2011 Census. At present, seat allocation is based on the 1971 Census, while constituency boundaries reflect the 2001 Census. It will also determine reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and provide for one-third reservation for women, including within these categories, with rotation across constituencies. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 extends similar changes to Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir. The constitutional amendment Bill requires a two-thirds majority of members present and voting in the Lok Sabha. The debate and vote are taking place amid opposition objections to the proposal to carry out delimitation on the basis of the 2011 Census, even as there is broad support for women's reservation.The vote comes a day after the Union Government notified the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, bringing into force the law providing for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies with effect from April 16, 2026.The 2023 law had remained inoperative despite receiving Presidential assent because it required a separate notification under Section 1(2) to come into force. As enacted in 2023, women's reservation was contingent on a delimitation exercise to be carried out after the first Census conducted following the law. This effectively deferred implementation until a future Census and subsequent readjustment of constituencies.

Lok Sabha Rejects Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill 2026 To Increase Seats; Centre Withdraws Delimitation Bill

Amisha Shrivastava

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