NDA Government Links Women’s Reservation To Delimitation, Proposes Lok Sabha Expansion To 815 Seats; Opposition Erupts Over 'Bundling' Of Bills

New Delhi: A stormy special session of Parliament on Thursday witnessed the introduction of three key bills centred on women’s reservation and delimitation, triggering sharp Opposition protests over what critics termed an attempt to “bundle” unrelated issues and delay rollout of the quota.

The government tabled the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, alongside the Delimitation Bill, 2026, in Lok Sabha, while the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was also introduced.

The move was opposed by several Opposition parties, who demanded women’s reservation be delinked from delimitation and implemented on the basis of the existing 543-member LS.

The session that began on a sombre note with obituary references turned contentious after Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal tabled the two Bills.

Home Minister Amit Shah subsequently tabled the legislation concerning Union Territories.

Introducing the measures, Meghwal sought to allay concerns, asserting that the proposed changes would not disadvantage men or any state.

He outlined that the strength of the Lok Sabha would increase from 543 to 815 seats, with 272 seats reserved for women — in line with the proposed 33 per cent quota.

“Neither men nor any state will suffer any loss after the implementation of the women’s quota,” Meghwal said, adding that reservations for women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes would be provided within the overall quota framework in both Parliament and state assemblies.

Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal led the Opposition charge, accusing the government of attempting to “hijack the Constitution”. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju countered that the Bills had only been introduced and the Opposition would have ample opportunity to express its views during the debate.

The Opposition’s resistance escalated into a demand for division, with the House eventually approving the introduction of the Bills by 251 votes in favour and 185 against.

Venugopal strongly objected to the clubbing of the Constitution Amendment Bill with the delimitation-related legislations, warning that such a legislative approach could set a problematic precedent. “Clubbing will not be a good practice and would have consequences,” he said.

Defending the government’s strategy, Shah argued that delimitation was integral to implementing women’s reservation effectively. “To take the women’s reservation to its logical conclusion, the other two Bills are needed,” he said, adding that similar legislative approaches had been adopted in the past.

He also accused the Opposition of coming prepared to “oppose everything”. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla later announced that the House would allocate 15 to 18 hours for discussion on the Bills, with voting scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday.

From the Opposition benches, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi reiterated support for women’s reservation but opposed linking it with delimitation. He argued that the government’s approach would delay implementation and noted that, had the Centre acted earlier, the quota could have been operational from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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Gogoi also questioned the proposed expansion of Lok Sabha seats, asking how the government arrived at figures such as 815 or higher without conducting a fresh Census or placing a detailed proposal before Parliament.

With both sides digging in, the debate over women’s reservation — long seen as a landmark reform — now appears set to unfold amid sharp political divisions over its timing, structure and implementation.