Union Cabinet clears bill for early rollout of women’s quota and delimitation of Lok Sabha seats

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Apr 9, 2026: The Union Cabinet has reportedly cleared a Bill to amend the Constitution for the early implementation of a 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, along with a proposal to increase the strength of the Lower House from 543 to 816 seats.

The Bill is expected to be taken up for discussion and passage when Parliament’s Budget Session resumes on April 16. The proposal includes reserving 273 seats for women in the expanded Lok Sabha.

In addition to the Constitution Amendment Bill, the government is also set to introduce a Bill to amend the Delimitation Act.

Sources said the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Act).

The law passed in 2023 had stipulated that the women’s quota would be implemented only after a fresh Census and subsequent delimitation exercise. However, the government has recently proposed carrying out delimitation based on the 2011 Census.

Under the existing provisions, implementation before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections is unlikely, as Census 2027 data would become available only later, delaying the delimitation process.

The proposal has drawn criticism from Opposition parties. The Congress has opposed the move, arguing that a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats could adversely affect southern states as well as Punjab and Haryana. The DMK has also raised similar concerns.

Opposition parties contend that the proposed formula may favour more populous states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar.

The Samajwadi Party has demanded that the reservation be implemented based on Census 2027 data instead of the 2011 Census to reflect current demographics.

Several Opposition leaders have also alleged that the government’s push for early implementation is aimed at avoiding demands for sub-quotas for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), which could gain momentum after the caste data from the 2027 Census becomes available.