Lok Sabha Expansion Plan: What the Proposed Constitutional Amendment Could Change in India’s Political Structure

The Union government has proposed constitutional reform that can change the parliamentary structure of the country.  Through the new amendment bill it aims to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha and to change how the delimitation is conducted. The proposal also seeks to remove the mandatory link between the delimitation and the post-2026 Census which will be allowing earlier seat redistribution. This move is also look at to fast-track the implementation of women’s reservation in the Parliament and State Assemblies.

What is the New Constitutional Amendment Bill About?

The Union government has introduced The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment) Bill, 2026 which proposes,

• To increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 members.
• Also revised the provisions related to delimitation of constituencies.
• And enabling faster implementation of women’s reservation as per the bill passed by the Lok Sabha.

The Bill is expected to be discussed during the special session of the Parliament which was scheduled for April 16-17.

Proposed Changes in Lok Sabha Composition

This amendment seeks to modify the Article 81 of the Constitution like

1. The maximum of 815 members to be elected from States of India.
2. And up to 35 members from Union Territories.

This expansion shows the India’s growing population and also aims to ensure better representation of the citizens.

Major Change: Delimitation Before 2026 Census

Currently as per the Article 82 delimitation has been linked to the first Census after 2026.

The Bill Proposes the

• Removal of this restriction of particular time,
• Also allowing delimitation based on the pre-2026 Census data

It means that the constituency boundaries and seat distribution can be revised earlier without waiting for future census data.

What is Delimitation and Why It Matters?

Delimitation is the process of to redrawing boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies and adjusting it with the seat allocation based on population changes.

The new Delimitation Bill 2026 also proposes to replacing the earlier Delimitation Act, 2002.

Key Functions of the Delimitation Commission Are

• To decide the number of seats for each State and UT.
• Reserve seats for SC/ST categories as per the percentage.
• Redraw the constituency boundaries and fixed it.
• Also ensure the geographical and administrative convenience

The Delimitation Commission will be headed by the Supreme Court judge and also it includes the election officials.

Women’s Reservation In New Delimitation

The amendment also targets the Article 334A which is linked to women’s reservation.

It builds on the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 which provides the,

33% reservation limit for the women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies and this change will be implemented after the delimitation.

With the proposed change the reservation can now be implemented immediately after delimitation and there is no need to wait for post-2026 Census data.

Why This Amendment is Significant

This proposed amendment has wide range of implications.

By increasing the seats it will ensures that growing population gets the adequate political representation.

Also the current seat allocation is based on 1971 Census for the seat distribution and 2001 Census for constituencies.

The faster rollout of reservation will increase the women’s participation in the governance.

Background: Evolution of Delimitation in India

India has conducted multiple delimitation exercises but since the 1976 the changes were frozen to maintain the population balance among states.

• Last major delimitation was happened in 2002 and it was based on 2001 Census.
• Also the next delimitation was expected after 2026 census data.

The new proposal signals the policy shift towards the earlier electoral structuring.

Question

Q. Which constitutional article makes Delimitation orders non-justiciable?

A. Article 226
B. Article 32
C. Article 329(a)
D. Article 136