Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced on Thursday that the total number of Lok Sabha seats in India is projected to increase significantly from the current 543 to 815. This expansion is part of the proposed Delimitation Bill, 2026, which ties the new seat allocation to the census conducted after 2026.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, Meghwal detailed that this increase would entail a 50 percent rise in seats for all states. Crucially, out of the 815 new seats, 272 will be reserved for women, constituting one-third of the House's total strength. The minister also clarified that this women's quota would include reservations for women from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.
Delimitation Bill and Women's Reservation
The Union Law Minister emphasized that the new framework, based on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, aims to ensure no state or male representative suffers a loss in their existing strength. The women's reservation bill, passed in 2023, is slated for implementation following the post-2026 census and subsequent delimitation exercise.
Meghwal's remarks came as he proposed the introduction of the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026. Concurrently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Union Territories Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has proposed over 12 hours of discussion for these three crucial bills, with voting expected on Friday.
Opposition Raises Concerns
The proposed Delimitation Bill has ignited strong reactions from opposition parties. The INDI alliance has voiced significant opposition, with AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi stating concerns that the bill would lead to northern states dominating the political landscape, potentially at the expense of southern states due to differing population growth rates.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also criticized the government's decision to link the delimitation process with the Women's Reservation Bill. Gogoi argued that the government is creating unnecessary hurdles for women's reservation, suggesting that the initial promise of implementing it after the 2024 census has been delayed by tying it to future delimitation. He accused the Centre of using this bill as a 'backdoor' for delimitation and expressed skepticism about the government's commitment to a caste census.