In the upcoming three-day Parliament session in India, three crucial bills will be discussed. The government argues that these bills are essential for the enforcement of a 33% reservation for women, while the Opposition raises concerns about their political and constitutional implications.
The first bill aims to amend the Constitution to expand the Lok Sabha to 850 seats, with 815 for elected members from states and 35 for Union Territories. It also proposes adjustments in state assembly seats based on population.
The second bill suggests modifications to Acts concerning Union Territories, J&K Reorganisation, and GNCT Delhi to facilitate delimitation and changes in assembly seats.
The third bill proposes the establishment of a Delimitation Commission of India through a new Delimitation Act.
The key focus is on Bill No. 107/2026 – the Constitutional Amendment Bill – which suggests increasing Lok Sabha seats, altering state assembly seat numbers, and other revisions.
The controversy revolves around seat adjustments based on population and potential loss of representation for certain states post-delimitation. The bill intends to unfreeze seat readjustments since the 1971 census, allowing Parliament to choose the census figures for allocation.
The reservation for women is tied to the completion of delimitation, delaying immediate implementation. Questions linger on the duration of the delimitation process and the census data to be considered.
The Delimitation Bill outlines the allocation of seats, including SC/ST quotas and women’s reservation, with rotations across constituencies. It also mandates rotation of women’s reserved seats within SC/ST categories.
The distribution of assembly seats will be based on census data chosen by Parliament, raising concerns of reduced representation for states with population control measures.
Opposition parties support women’s reservation but oppose linking it to delimitation. The proposed amendment sets a 15-year limit on women’s reservation, subject to extension by Parliament.
The amalgamation of seat redistribution, delimitation, and reservation in one framework is seen as a potentially contentious issue by legal experts and political figures.