Overview
- Parliament, which leaders said on Thursday would return for a short sitting, will meet April 16–18 to take up a “very important” bill that sources say will raise Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 with roughly one-third reserved for women.
- The package is expected to pair a Constitution amendment with changes to the Delimitation Act to delink implementation from the 2027 census and redraw constituencies using 2011 data, with similar proportional changes reported for state assemblies.
- Government ministers say they have held quiet consultations with some allies and non-Congress leaders, while Congress has demanded an all-party meeting after April 29 and argues the timing breaches the Model Code of Conduct during ongoing state polls.
- Opposition leaders warn that a larger House could still leave smaller southern and northeastern states at a relative disadvantage even if each state’s share rises by the same 50 percent, while the government says it is honoring a commitment to expand women’s representation.
- Officials indicate the design would include SC and ST sub-quotas within the women’s quota and possible rotation of reserved constituencies, with an independent commission conducting delimitation and a target start date reported as March 31, 2029.