272 seats will be reserved for women: Law minister
What's the story
Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal initiated the debate on three major bills in Parliament on Thursday by presenting the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026. The minister also tabled the Delimitation Bill, 2026, setting the stage for discussions on implementing a one-third reservation for women in legislative bodies. During the debate, he said no state will lose a seat due to delimitation.
Minister
272 seats will be reserved for women
He said the women's reservation bill was passed in 2023, providing for implementing its provisions based on the census after 2026 and delimitation. "There will be an equal, 50 per cent increase in the strength of Lok Sabha members, and this will translate to 815 seats, of which 272 will be reserved for women, which comes to one-third of the strength of the House. There will be no loss to anyone (states), and they will retain their strength," he assured.
LS
Voting is scheduled for Friday at 4:00pm
The Lok Sabha will vote on three bills to amend the women's quota law and establish a delimitation commission. The voting is scheduled for Friday at 4:00pm Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had suggested a 12-hour debate on the bills but said the decision to extend that would be taken by Birla.
Legislative goals
Details of the proposed bills
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill seeks to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to a maximum of 850. This is aimed at operationalizing the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls through a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. The Delimitation Bill proposes readjustment of seats in legislative assemblies and division into territorial constituencies, also based on the 2011 Census.
Opposition response
Opposition's stand on delimitation exercise
The opposition has opposed the delimitation exercise, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin protesting against it. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called it a "dangerous plan" to "gerrymander" constituencies for electoral advantage. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said there is a "unanimous resolve" among opposition parties against the delimitation exercise, adding that linking it with women's reservation is problematic.