New Delhi, April 18(BNP): The Lok Sabha on Saturday rejected the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, moved by the Union Government, after it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.
Out of 528 members present and voting, 298 supported the Bill while 230 opposed it, falling short of the constitutional threshold needed for passage of an amendment.
The proposed legislation sought to significantly expand the strength of the Lok Sabha and revise the framework for delimitation, alongside enabling the implementation of women’s reservation. It proposed increasing the House strength from 543 to 850 seats, including up to 815 representatives from states and 35 from Union Territories.
The Bill also aimed to amend provisions related to delimitation by allowing the process to be undertaken without waiting for the post-2026 Census, using available data such as the 2011 Census. Additionally, it proposed changes to facilitate the implementation of one-third reservation for women immediately after delimitation, instead of linking it to a future Census exercise.
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, which were aligned with the broader proposal.
The Bills had proposed reallocation of parliamentary and विधानसभा seats based on updated population data and included provisions for reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women, with rotational allocation across constituencies.
Opposition parties strongly objected to the proposals, particularly the move to base delimitation on the 2011 Census. They argued that it could disproportionately impact the representation of southern and north-eastern states. Concerns were also raised over proceeding with delimitation while the next Census process is underway.
The development comes shortly after the notification of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, which provides for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. However, its implementation remains linked to a delimitation exercise following a future Census.
The rejection of the Bill highlights ongoing political differences over delimitation and the roadmap for implementing women’s reservation in legislative bodies.
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